Twin Troubles
by Ardhoniel Marvelite
Summary: Peter Maximoff's twin sister joins him at Xavier's school. Chaos and drama ensue. My attempt at bringing Wanda into the X-Men movies and explaining her absence on screen so far. Post X-Men Apocalypse, spoilers included. Marvel and Fox own everything.
1. Chapter 1

**Twin Troubles**

* * *

 _ **AN: This story takes place after X-Men Apocalypse, so there will be spoilers. I have fancast Mihaela Dragan as Wanda Maximoff in this universe because I wanted the twins' Roma heritage to be acknowledged. Her image is used as this story's cover art so readers can see how I picture Wanda looking in the X-Men movie universe.**_

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Wanda Maximoff put the rental car into park in the school's driveway, then took a minute to stare up at the massive building. _This is a school?!_ She had to admit, she felt a bit intimidated at the sight. Taking a deep breath, she stepped from the vehicle, heading for the front door, trying to figure out whether or not she needed to be mad at her reckless twin when she finally saw him.

She'd been backpacking through Europe, and had been in Amsterdam when the freak events had happened- the earthquake, the nukes taking off worldwide and detonating harmlessly, the unnerving voice in her head (and everyone else's) foretelling Doomsday, then the inexplicable metallic shifting that apparently hit _everywhere on Earth_ , causing disasters. It was the bizarre magnetic event that had prompted Wanda to call home. She just _knew_ that her biological father/sperm donor/mutant terrorist/waste of space was involved somehow, and she wanted to make sure her empty-headed twin hadn't got mixed up with him again, as he had ten years ago when she'd been at college.

She'd yelled at Peter for three hours straight when she found out he'd been the reason that Magneto escaped the Pentagon. It wasn't until months after that, when Wanda came home on vacation, that she learned what Peter knew by then: Magneto, or Erik, was their biological father. And Peter seemed, weirdly, to think that this was a _good_ thing. As if a man like that would change, just because he'd fathered children he never knew about, decades ago!

Wanda shook her head, pushing her unruly dark curly hair out of her face as she banished that train of thought, re-focusing on the present, and why she was here, to knock some sense into her brother.

After calling home from Amsterdam, she'd been told by her mom that Magneto's being located in Poland had encouraged Peter to go looking for him. Wanda couldn't understand why he felt the need to, Magneto was a stranger. He hadn't raised them, didn't even _know_ about them, but somehow Peter felt he had to track him down. She'd arranged there and then to come home (to wring Peter's neck when he showed up.)

As she'd made her way to the airport, she had oddly, felt fear, and it only grew. She'd felt enough of her twin's emotions before to understand that it was _Peter_ who was scared, but she couldn't sense why. The next thing she'd picked up on was a crippling pain in her left leg, as if the bone had broken.

She'd tried her hardest to not panic- Peter was alive- but she couldn't get home fast enough. She had cursed the hours it took to book flights, finally be able to take off, then get back to the States, then to DC, before _finally_ riding the subway home. After a brief catch up with Mom and little Ana (who took offence at being called that now she was nearly 15) Wanda _finally_ learned where Peter was, at that school for mutants they'd heard about, years ago, and apparently he planned to stay there. Mom seemed to know nothing about Peter having broken his leg, nor did she seem to know why he might have felt so scared a few days ago. Wanda decided it was best not to tell her, at least not until she'd gotten the full story from her brother.

Which led her to where she was now, standing at the front door of this 'Xavier Institute'. A chilling thought struck her. What if Magneto was here too? What if _that_ was why Peter wanted to stay? Academics had never been Peter's thing, after all... Wanda clenched her fists. Small red sparks danced round her hands. Peter had always acted as if Magneto was merely misunderstood, as he himself was, and seemed to think that if they could just bond, all would be well. If that was the case, she'd drag him home kicking and screaming. She knew enough of Magneto's past, from her mom and from the news, to know that he was bad news, and not someone she and Peter needed in their lives. If only she could convince Peter of that... Her brother's mischief and petty theft was _nothing_ like the atrocities Magneto had committed, and if he _was_ here, Peter was coming home.

The red sparks had grown into a halo around her hands. Wanda took a deep breath, willing it away, praying it worked. She didn't need to introduce herself at this place by causing a disaster! She counted to ten in her mind, and her powers went dormant again as she relaxed.

 _You don't even know if Magneto is still here_ , she told herself firmly. _So knock on the door, introduce yourself and ask to see Peter. No need to get stressed out_. Hoping her powers didn't go haywire, she knocked on the door. Footsteps sounded, and the door opened.

"Good morning, Miss...?"

Wanda jumped, then tried to pretend she hadn't. She'd known this was a school for mutants, of course, but hadn't expected to be greeted by someone who looked like a blue Bigfoot!

"Um, hairy- uh, hi! Hi." Mentally, Wanda slapped herself.

The blue guy waited, then raised a brow. "May I help you?"

"Oh, yes, sorry. I'm looking for Peter Maximoff." Wanda hesitated, not knowing what, if anything, the people here knew about Peter's family. _To heck with it._ "I'm his twin sister."

The blue guy's jaw dropped, but he regained his composure quickly. "Right, of course. Come in, I'll have someone call Peter for you." He closed the door behind her. "I'm Hank, by the way. Hank McCoy." He stared at her. "Peter didn't mention you were coming."

"It's a surprise." Wanda stated dryly. Hank was still staring, and she knew why. She took after her mom's mother, who had been Roma, and as such, with her nut-brown skin and wild dark curly hair, she couldn't have looked _less_ like Peter. She wondered how long it would take Hank to say something about that- most people did.

To her surprise, he didn't make a comment about her appearance, merely leading her to a lounge before heading off to find Peter. She sat down casually on the sofa, looking around at the opulently decorated room as she suppressed a yawn, still not fully over the jet lag caused by racing home, then immediately travelling here, so quickly. _This place sure is posh... This Xavier must be loaded_.

"Wanda!" Peter stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, grinning as always but looking wary nonetheless. Hank hovered just behind him.

Wanda stood, stretching, relieved to see that Peter was OK. She went to hug him, then hesitated. He met her halfway, hugging her tightly, almost lifting her off her feet.

She laughed, noting Hank leaving in her peripheral vision before re-focusing on Peter when he let go of her.

"What are you doing here, Wands? I thought you were in the Netherlands!"

Wanda eyed him intently. "Oh, I just called home to check on you guys after you know, _everything went insane_ all over the world, and Mom says you've just up and moved here for no obvious reason." She curbed her earlier urge to strangle him. "Of all the places you could've moved to, you choose here?"

He shrugged. "It's a good place, Wands." His use of her old nickname both reassured and annoyed her. "I can actually _do_ something with my life here, helping out kids like us. Mutants." A cocky grin crossed his face. "Don't worry, I'm not allowed to teach them _my_ ways of having fun."

"So you can't turn them into petty thieves. Small favors." Wanda's tone was wry, but a small smile played on her lips. Her expression darkened a second later. "How are you, really? Not long ago, I picked up on a hell of a lot of fear from you, and the next thing I know, it felt like someone broke my- your- leg." She folded her arms. "What's been going on?"

"Uhhh. Long story. But my leg's fine now!" To prove his point, he disappeared from her sight in a blur, then re-appeared a few seconds later. "See? Just ran a lap of the whole mansion!"

"And your accident?" Wanda wasn't going to drop it that easily. "Look, Mom said you went looking for... her old friend," she wasn't going to say Magneto, not when she had no idea who might be listening, "And all I know of it is that there was a huge magnetic disturbance that caused damage all over the world, you were petrified, and then you got hurt. If this was something he did, if he hurt you-"

The lights flickered and cracks appeared in a couple of windows. Wanda took another deep breath, burying her emotions and her powers.

"It wasn't him! Well, it kind of was, but it's not what you think. _Really_." Peter insisted.

Wanda sat back down, arms folded. "Alright. I don't know what you mean, so explain." She speared him with her gaze, making it clear she wasn't giving up until she got answers.

Peter sighed heavily, flopping down beside her. "Well-"

A woman with wavy blonde hair, wearing jeans and a leather jacket, stepped into the room, eyeing both twins curiously.

Peter looked relieved to not have to start explaining right then, Wanda noted. He smiled at the new arrival.

"Hey, Raven."

Raven. Mystique. The legendary fighter for mutant rights. Wanda arched a brow. The shape-shifter was younger than she'd expected- or maybe she was just choosing to look young. Who knew?

"Peter." Raven sounded almost amused. "Hank said you'd had a visitor. I thought I'd come meet your twin myself, since you mentioned her so often."

Wanda had a feeling Raven was being sarcastic. She turned to look at Peter. "You haven't told anyone about me?" She couldn't deny she was a little hurt.

"Errr... it's complicated, sis." He cleared his throat. "Wanda, this is Raven, or Mystique, whatever you want to call her, Raven, this is Wanda, my sister. Duh." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking at Raven almost apologetically.

Raven's next words were a bit sharper. "And in the talks we had about... the family issues you have, you never thought to mention that you're a twin?"

Wanda tensed, already guessing what- or who- Raven was talking about. She narrowed her eyes at Peter. "You've _told_ people about... our relation to him?!"

He looked at her defiantly, but couldn't hold her angry gaze. "He's not as bad as the stories make out, Wanda! He's lost a lot, and-"

"And I _don't want to hear it_." Wanda leapt up and began pacing. "Have you totally forgotten JFK? The thing in Washington? And now, after whatever he did the other week, you _still_ think he's a good person?"

Raven watched this exchange like a tennis match.

Peter clenched his fists. "He's a _complicated_ person. Just like we all are. We all can choose to do good or bad."

"And so far, from what I've seen, all he's ever done is bad!" Wanda was genuinely angry now. Her powers surged, though she hardly noticed. "You're just too _naive_ to see-"

A picture frame on a nearby table exploded loudly, spraying glass everywhere. Wanda muttered a quiet "Sorry" as she willed the photo to repair itself, then made the red glow fade from her hands.

"If you two are quite finished," Raven interrupted. "I'm guessing, since you're both playing the pronoun game, you don't want to say who it is you're talking about, so it's lucky for you I already know, but even so, half the school are going to hear. Why don't we continue this argument _outside_?" Grabbing Peter by the arm, she tugged him towards a door that led to the school grounds, plainly expecting Wanda to follow.

Still inwardly seething at her brother's stupidity, she stalked after them, determined to make sure that Peter understood that Magneto _had_ no redeeming qualities, and wasn't worth their time. The one good thing was that it didn't look as if the terrorist was here at this school. She just hoped it stayed that way. Or she _would_ make Peter leave. No matter what.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 **Love it? Hate it? Want to read more? Let me know in reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

 _ **AN: I have made Marya Maximoff into the twins' birth mother rather than their adopted mother as in comics, because Magda, in the movies, was Nina's mother, and I couldn't twist canon believably to make her Wanda and Peter's mom as well.**_

* * *

Wanda followed Raven and Peter some distance from the school, marveling silently at the beautiful grounds, though she'd never have admitted as much. There were groups of younger students here and there, studying or playing, or just enjoying the sunny day, and the three of them were stared at but no-one came over to introduce themselves- possibly because of the stern look on Raven's face, and, Wanda suspected, on her own.

They reached a small man-made lake with a fallen tree on the far side, which had Wanda's attention for a minute- the tree had fallen oddly, the trunk totally split in two and lying opposite each other, with burn marks down the edges, as if it had been cut down by a laser.

She gestured at it, raising a brow at Raven. "Interesting foliage."

Peter snorted. Raven ignored him, addressing Wanda. "Charles- Professor Xavier- decided to leave that there as a reminder that even the best mutants have to learn control." She paused. "Plus, it was his grandfather's favourite tree."

Wanda stared at the sun-dappled water, distracted from her mood for a minute. "Control isn't always possible." Her voice was softer than usual, and she felt Peter's hand on her shoulder, his way of trying to reassure her. She shrugged it off, not in the mood to take comfort from him right now, not after his recent choices.

Raven's eyes narrowed, as she clearly read between the lines, but then she changed the subject. "Right, I brought you two out here so you can talk about your dad-"

"Don't call him that." Wanda snapped, cutting her off.

"-Talk about _your father_ without anyone else hearing, but I want to make one thing clear to you right now, Wanda." Raven's eyes locked on hers. "I don't know you, and I have no idea what, if anything, you really know about Erik, but he's not as bad as you seem to think. Like Peter said, he's a complicated person, he's done good _and_ bad things, and he _has_ lost a hell of a lot the past few months, so you can keep your biases to yourself, got it?"

Wanda rolled her eyes but nodded. She wasn't here to fight with Raven, after all.

Raven glanced between her and Peter. "That said, I am curious about how and when he met your mom, if I'm honest."

"You never asked!" Peter blurted, sounding offended.

"That's because you never wanted to have a serious conversation about it," Raven retorted, before looking back at Wanda. "But Erik never mentioned anything about a Ms Maximoff, so..."

Wanda's fists clenched. _I bet he didn't_. "Marya. Her name's Marya, and they met after Russian soldiers liberated Auschwitz, on the journey to America..."

* * *

 _February, 1945_

 _Marya huddled in her corner, arms wrapped round her knees, trying to ignore the noise of the ship's engines. They were going to a new life in America, that's what these Russian soldiers had said, but she wasn't sure she trusted them. The German soldiers had made nice promises too, at first, when she and her family were taken into the camp when she was thirteen. Then she'd been dragged away from her Mama and Papa, and her older brother Pietro, and she'd never seen them again. She'd been told she could work to earn her way out of the camp, as she was such a pretty girl, and foolishly she'd agreed, not realising until too late just what the Nazis wanted from her... She shuddered, hunching up even smaller to banish the memories. At least she had survived... so many hadn't._

 _Here on the ship, the Jews had been separated from the Romani survivors, supposedly so that the Roma didn't have to put up with their culture and traditions being ignored. It made sense, but Marya still hadn't told anyone she was Roma, too afraid of the beatings she'd endured from the Nazis who knew her secret. "Gypsy! Half-breed mongrel!" The words echoed in her mind and she shuddered. She was only half Roma anyway, and didn't look it, as her father had been Jewish and white. It didn't matter anyway, if she didn't follow the Romani culture any more- she had no family left to shun her. The thought made a tear roll down her face._

 _They were several weeks into the voyage now and most of the too-thin bedraggled survivors of Auschwitz had begun planning what they'd do when they reached America. Marya hadn't let herself think about it- she was just fifteen, had no money, no family and nowhere to go. Who_ cared _what happened to her now?_

 _Across the crowded room, soft cries came from one of the only passengers who was as withdrawn as Marya herself, a dark-haired pale skinned boy who looked about a year older than her. She had never seen him in the camp, but he'd been brought out of the Commandant's offices when the Russians tore Auschwitz open. He'd seemed petrified of everyone and everything, and that had not changed much. He kept to himself, never speaking, hardly eating, and (as far as Marya could tell) not sleeping either. At least not peacefully- he woke up screaming more often than not, if he slept at all. He'd had an outright panic attack when the doctor on the ship had tried to examine him, and he'd had to be sedated. Since then, he glared at anyone who even tried to go near him._

 _Marya listened to him having yet another nightmare, then glanced down at the pile of food she'd saved from each meal, a habit from the camp when food was rare. He hadn't eaten at all this journey that she'd seen... Coming to a decision, she gathered up her 'rations' and made her way over to him._

 _He lay in the throes of his bad dreams, tossing and turning and muttering in German. Marya steeled herself and shook his shoulder gently._

 _His eyes shot open and he surged forward, gripping her wrist tightly, his eyes wild. "Nein!"_

 _Marya flinched, although she couldn't get away with him holding her like that. Her brown eyes met his blue ones, and she made herself hold his gaze. Eventually, his breathing slowed, becoming shaky, and his shoulders sagged. He let go of her, and she rubbed her aching wrist._

 _"What are you doing?" His eyes were narrowed, suspicious._

 _Marya bit her lip. "I've been s-saving food. I thought you might be hungry." She picked up the food she'd dropped and offered it to him tentatively, as one would approach a wild animal. "You haven't eaten much..." That was an understatement, as far as Marya could tell, he hadn't eaten_ anything _, but she wasn't going to point that out- she'd hardly wanted to eat, either!_

 _He took it, slowly, never taking his eyes off her, as if afraid of a trick or having it snatched back. "Thank you." The words were grudging, stilted._

 _Marya beamed, happy to have helped, even in this tiny way. "You're welcome."_

 _Her parents had always said her smile was contagious, and they must have been right, because the boy's face softened a little._

 _Feeling braver, she took a chance. "I'm Marya. Marya Maximoff."_

 _"...Erik Lehnsherr." He said it slowly, as if he hadn't used his own name for a long time. Perhaps he hadn't, Marya mused. The Nazis had tended to give people horrible nicknames, after all... She sat down carefully next to him, watching for any sign that he wanted her gone. He was eating now though, ravenously, so Marya assumed he didn't mind her staying nearby. It wasn't as if either of them had anyone else to think of._

 _"Maybe we can stay together, look out for each other." She offered tentatively._

 _Erik didn't respond, but his hand twitched towards hers, as if he wanted to take her hand but didn't dare. His brow furrowed, and a large screw in the nearby wall slid out of its place, falling near Erik's hand. Marya's eyes widened as it warped and twisted into a flower. Erik offered it to her, as if it were payment for the food. She picked it up and pocketed it, a bit shocked._ How did he do that? _She decided not to ask, though. It was an amazing trick!_

 _Marya suppressed a smile. She had a friend now- sort of. Maybe America wouldn't be so bad, if she could be with Erik instead of being a young orphan girl all by herself..._

* * *

Raven listened to Wanda's story, eyes widened slightly. "I've never heard any of this. I always assumed he was off hunting down his enemies as soon as he got to the States..."

Wanda snorted. "He might as well have. I know they got a tiny apartment together, and Mom says they were happy for a few years, but then it turned out he was trying to track down the Nazi who killed his parents. She says she kept trying to talk him out of it, but he was obsessed. One of his leads on the guy he was after broke into their home once, threatened Mom's life. She never said exactly what happened, just that Erik tortured and killed the intruder, I guess with his powers. Mom freaked, and that's when she began to realise how dangerous Erik really was. Eventually, he left her to go after this Shaw guy, and never came back."

"And of course, it was only _after_ that that Mom found out she was having us." Peter input.

Raven looked close to tears for a second. "Oh, Erik..." Her words were barely audible. She shook her head. "He could have had a family so much sooner..."

Wanda arched a brow. "What?"

Peter cleared his throat. "Yeah. Turns out this past decade, while he was MIA, he had another family, in Poland. He was married, and they had a little girl."

Wanda jumped. "We have another sibling?!"

Peter looked at the floor, scuffing his shoe. Raven shook her head. "No. She and her mom were killed in an accident."

Tears pricked Wanda's eyes despite her determination to _not_ feel sorry for Erik. "That's awful."

Peter nodded, then cleared his throat again. "Yeah. That's why I haven't told him about me- us- yet, too soon." He sighed. "But Wanda, I still think you should stay here. This place... it's great. And the Prof might be able to help you _finally_ get a grip on your powers, if..."

Raven looked at Wanda curiously. "So you have control issues? What _are_ your powers? I thought it looked like telekinesis, am I wrong?"

"It's not telekinesis." A cheerful male voice with a British accent interrupted. Wanda looked up to see a bald man in a wheelchair coming towards them, smiling warmly at her, looking fascinated. "Wanda here somehow has the ability to affect _probability itself_ around her, making anything she imagines possible. It's incredible."

Wanda's eyes narrowed. _This must be Xavier_. "Stay out of my head."

"I apologise, Wanda. But I was reading Peter's thoughts, not yours. He's terrible at keeping his thoughts quiet, you see."

Wanda huffed, not sure she bought that, but letting it go.

"In any case, he's right. I may be able to help you, if you agree to stay. And you won't be forced to deal with... any other issues if you don't want to."

Wanda considered. It _would_ be good to not have to worry about whether or not she'd used her powers unknowingly to alter things in her favour, to not be on her guard all the time, and if she wasn't going to be forced to deal with the Erik thing... "Alright, I'll stay for now, on two conditions. One, I don't want the whole school knowing who Erik is to us. And two, if he _does_ turn up, I don't want anything to do with him."

Peter opened his mouth to protest. She waved him off. "You can do what you want, it's up to you. You'll ignore me anyway, we both know that. Just don't drag me into it." If she was honest, hearing that Erik had had another family, a child, cast doubts on what she'd believed. Did out-and-out monsters have families that they loved and grieved the loss of? Maybe he _had_ changed, or wasn't as bad as Mom believed...

Xavier nodded slowly, and Wanda had no idea if he was agreeing with her words or her thoughts. That was kind of creepy...

"We have a deal." Xavier smiled. "I hope you'll like it here, Wanda. And feel free to call me Charles- your brother does."

Peter grinned, zipping over to Wanda in a blur. "Come on! We'll go find you a room!"

Wanda narrowed her eyes. "Peter, _don't_ -"

He'd picked her up and zoomed off, carrying her, before she could finish telling him not to.

Raven shook her head slightly. "Are you sure about this, Charles? She has a serious problem with Erik, and you know he could drop in any day. And if her powers are what you say, she could be seriously dangerous..."

"I know." Charles said softly. "But honestly, Raven, intense loyalty to her mother, anger issues, a problem with controlling her powers... does she remind you of anyone?"

Raven sighed. "You see Erik in her."

"She's far more like him than Peter is. And I do not want her to go through the same problems he did because she can't let go of her anger." Charles stared in the direction the twins had gone. "I got through to Erik in the end. I have to believe I can reach his daughter too."

 _ **To be continued...**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Erik grinned to himself as he used his powers to forcefully open the gates to Charles' school. It wasn't as if his old friend couldn't afford to repair them, or that Charles didn't already know he was there- he'd told him telepathically, a while ago, that he'd found another mutant runaway that Charles could recruit/adopt. The other mutant hadn't replied, but he knew Charles had heard- mainly because he and Raven were already waiting out front.

Erik turned to the frightened girl at his side. The 14 year old was tiny for her age, and very shy. She also had purple-pink hair, cat-green eyes, purple markings around her eyes and pointed ears. Her ability, from what Erik had seen so far, was creating some kind of energy-based portal that made an odd 'blink' sound when formed, but he didn't know more than that, considering he had been too busy stopping drunken bigots beating the girl to death for being a 'mutie freak'. He hadn't killed the idiots, but only because the child was petrified enough, and he needed to get the young mutant to safety. She barely spoke, and when she did, it was in whispers, but he knew her name was Clarice, and her parents had thrown her out when her appearance changed from human to obviously mutant. The thought made Erik grimace in disgust. What kind of parents turned on their child for something totally out of their control? Children deserved to be loved and valued no matter what.

"Are you ready?" He asked Clarice softly. "This is the school I told you about. You'll be safe here."

Clarice nodded without speaking and he led her up to the doors, to introduce her to Charles and Raven. He smiled a little as he walked the familiar route. No matter his ideological clashes with Charles, it always felt good to be back here. Peaceful... one of the few places he could safely relax.

* * *

Wanda flopped down heavily on the bed in her new room, sighing. Hank had insisted she join him for an 'analysis' on her powers in the Danger Room earlier. She hadn't been eager, but he kept saying it would help. Her shoulders slumped. _I hope the repairs don't take too long_. She had _told_ him that if she used her powers randomly, with no goal in mind, that she couldn't predict the effects, but he'd shrugged it off, telling her to just 'cut loose'.

The blast she'd unleashed left the Danger Room looking like a tornado made of fire had ripped through it. She'd apologised to Hank then got out of there as fast as she could. Why had she ever thought using her powers could be a good thing? She wasn't like other mutants- all she could do was destroy. She put her head in her hands, once more silently cursing her biological father for giving her the mutant gene that she hated, even though she _knew_ he wasn't to blame.

A strong breeze gusted through her room, then her bed sagged as someone else sat on it. Wanda didn't even need to look up.

"Hello, Peter."

Her tone of voice must have given something away. "Danger Room session that bad, huh?" Peter's usually exuberant voice was softer than usual.

She sighed. "Don't ask."

"'Kay. But, you know, property damage... kind of par for the course round here. Scott told me, his first day, he sliced that tree in half. You know, the one we saw the other day, when you arrived? And Jean and Jubilee have wrecked the place more than once, in their sleep or just when they're mad. And don't even get me started on Sam Guthrie, the Southern kid who cannonballs himself? He goes through walls on a weekly basis."

Wanda sighed again, louder. "I appreciate you trying to reassure me, Peter, but those others are _teenagers_. I don't think you'll find many 27-year-old mutants who have to _not_ use their powers to avoid frequent catastrophes." She shook her head. "I shouldn't have agreed to stay. I'd be better off just finding work and getting on with my life. That's what I got the psychology degree _for_ , after all."

"And what, spend the rest of your life pretending to be something you're not, hiding from the world?" Peter rolled his eyes.

"Why not? If people are safer that way-"

"That's Mom talking, not you."

"She was right! After Sean-" Wanda cut herself off, not wanting to remember Marya's former boyfriend, Ana's father.

"Wanda, that was _fourteen years ago_. And that jerk deserved it. Besides, you only just _got_ your powers right before that. We were _thirteen_. It wasn't your fault!"

Wanda stared at the ground, not replying. Peter grimaced. He'd had this talk with her a thousand times, but he knew she wouldn't forgive herself- she never did. Never mind that Sean's death _could_ have been an accident- they would never know what caused the multiple brain aneurysms that had claimed his life. The loser had been drunk and about to hit Mom at the time. Wanda's hands had glowed red for the first time ever, and Sean had fainted. Now she and Mom both believed it was Wanda's powers that had killed Sean, though Mom had never said that outright. She didn't blame Wanda, but there was always a slight unease between them after that. Wanda had eventually done her best to suppress her powers (though it never worked completely, her powers still surfaced) and focused on education and a 'normal' life.

Peter took a deep breath. "Anyway, I didn't come here to talk about that- though we _should_ at some point- but, uh..." He fidgeted. "Seems Erik... er, Magneto brought another mutant kid here- he does that a lot, helps young mutants get to the school- and he's kind of visiting with Charles, and..." Peter tapped his fingers to his forehead. "Prof spoke to me, thinks we should tell him."

Wanda groaned, heaving herself off the bed. She didn't want to deal with this right now. "You can, if you want. Just make it clear I'm not in this to play Happy Families." She stalked out of the room.

Peter pinched the bridge of his nose. Why couldn't they _agree_ on anything anymore?

 _Peter?_ Charles' voice was hesitant. _Did you want me to be the one to tell Erik? I know you wanted him to know, but..._

 _No. I'll be right there_. Peter took a deep breath, willed his stomach to stop churning with nerves, and sped to Charles' office. (That was where Erik always hung out while at the school.)

* * *

Erik leaned forward slightly in the chair, peering at Charles suspiciously over the desk. "You're nervous about something." He had introduced Clarice to Charles and Raven, and the shape-shifter had taken the girl to find a room and settle in, while Charles persuaded Erik to come in for a while, as he always did.

Charles laughed. It sounded somewhat forced. "No, I'm not."

"We've played two games of chess, you keep fidgeting and you're avoiding eye contact with me." Erik sat back, arms folded. "I know you, Charles. What's going on?"

"Well-"

The door was flung open in a burst of wind. Charles smiled, looking almost relieved. Erik twisted round, frowning.

The young speedster- Peter, if Erik remembered correctly- stood in the doorway, looking both excited and anxious, like a child unsure how a gift to an adult would be received. He was almost hopping from one foot to the other with agitation.

Erik looked back at Charles, hoping for some clue as to why the young man was here. Come to think of it, he popped up a _lot_ when Erik came by the mansion... Charles, however, was maneuvering his wheelchair round the desk, clearly planning to leave the room.

"Erik, Peter has something to tell you. It's important, so I will give you two privacy." He reached the door, and glanced back at Erik, who was now utterly confused. "And, Erik? Stay calm."

Erik blinked repeatedly as Charles put a hand on Peter's shoulder with a reassuring smile, before the silver haired mutant stepped aside to let him leave. The door closed behind him, leaving a bemused Erik staring at Peter.

The speedster stood there fidgeting for a few minutes, apparently at a loss for words.

Erik honestly had no idea what was going on right now.

Eventually, Peter spoke. "Um, do you remember when we first met?"

 _What the hell does that have to do with anything?_ Erik frowned, but nodded. "When you helped get me out of the Pentagon. I'm not sure if I ever thanked you for that, events were somewhat chaotic that day..."

"Nah, it's cool, man. Do you remember me saying my mom knew a guy with abilities like yours?"

Erik's brow creased. _Had_ the boy said that? He'd talked so much that day, and it was a decade ago... "Vaguely."

Peter shifted awkwardly. He took a deep breath. _Just say it, Peter!_ "Do you remember a woman called Marya Maximoff?"

Erik started. "Marya?! Yes, I knew her, about thirty years ago..." His heart began pounding, his mind connecting dots between events, drawing a conclusion he did _not_ want to accept. There was no way... It couldn't be...

Peter nodded a couple of times. "It's... Marya's my mom. And..."

Erik began shaking his head. This was not happening. Out of context, he began remembering things that Raven and Peter had said, during the battle with Apocalypse, when they'd been trying to reason with him.

Raven had said "I know you think you've lost everything, but you haven't. You have me... you have Charles..." She had glanced at Peter before continuing. "You have more family than you know."

Peter, when Erik had questioned his presence there, had fumbled his words. "I'm- I'm your- I'm here for my family too!"

Erik's fists clenched. Marya, all those years ago, pleading with him to forget Shaw, to stay with her... and now this young man, her son, who happened to be a mutant. It was adding up. But he wouldn't, _couldn't_ let this be happening. He had _had_ a family, a child, and his past sins had gotten them killed. _Don't say it_. He turned his deadliest glare on Peter.

Peter swallowed hard, but spoke the words Erik dreaded anyway. "You're my father. I'm your son."

Erik stood frozen, unable to process that or react now it had been said aloud. _No, no, no..._

Peter seemed to be waiting for some sort of response, watching Erik carefully.

"NO!" All the metal in the room pulsed and began to writhe as anger and grief grew in the metal-bender's mind. He tore his eyes from Peter, unable to look at him. Memories assaulted him. Nina's first smile, first steps, first word, learning to talk, to read, all moments her father should have shared and had.

He had a son in his late twenties and he had missed _all of that._ Peter- _his son_ \- had grown up fatherless, because Erik had let his vengeance on Shaw rule his life back then.

 _What had he done?!_

Erik was breathing heavily, his face contorted. Peter couldn't read his expression, it was so mixed up.

"Hey, you OK, man? I know this is big news, but I kinda thought it might be a good thing..."

Erik finally looked at him, his eyes full of grief. Peter suddenly didn't know what to say.

"I, um... I wanted to tell you earlier. But it never felt like the right time." Peter's voice was more unsure now. "Uh... I'm a twin. My sister's name is Wanda. So you have a daughter as well. Um... aren't you going to say anything?"

 _A son and a daughter, both adults already_. The metal in the room tore itself from its place and formed a tornado as Erik fought for composure. He was praying this was a joke- or a nightmare. He looked pleadingly at Peter, hoping that this was the speedster's (sick) idea of a joke.

Peter just kept watching him, waiting for a reply.

Erik couldn't take it, this news of yet another horrific failure on his part to protect and care for his own family. He'd abandoned Marya and forced her to cope on her own with _his_ children. He ran from the room, unable to look at Peter. His own flesh and blood, his son, that he'd never been there for. Was it _possible_ for anything worse to happen to him now? Just when he thought he'd made the biggest mistakes and learned from them, life kicked sand in his face and proved him wrong _again_.

It always got worse. He was a monster, a failure, who did not deserve any happiness. He ran through the hallways, barely aware of where he was going.

 _Erik? Erik!_ Charles called to his mind, but he ignored him. Charles had to have known this, so why hadn't he told him _before_ now? He'd known of Peter for ten years! Had Charles thought that Erik, before Washington, didn't deserve a family, so hadn't told him? And now Erik was 'a better person', Charles had let him know?

 _No, Erik, I would not have done that to you_. Charles sounded hurt. _I didn't know of the twins' paternity until after you left, after you had rebuilt the mansion. And since then, I have been trying to work out how to tell you. Erik, you need to calm down_.

Erik laughed bitterly as he found his way into the kitchen. _Calm down?! I'll tell you what, Charles, I will drop a life-changing piece of news that you never expected on you, and see how fast YOU can 'calm down'!_ He 'pushed' the telepath from his mind and began flipping open cupboards. "I need a drink. There had better be alcohol in here somewhere. _Strong_ alcohol."

There was a derisive snort behind him, and only then did Erik realise he wasn't alone in the kitchen. He turned slowly to see (and scare off) his unwanted company. He needed to be alone right now.

A foreign girl, Roma, possibly, Erik thought, with wild curly hair, clad in black jeans and a red shirt sneered at him, arms folded.

"You get the news that you're a father and your first instinct is to drown your sorrows in a bottle? _Pathetic_."

Erik froze. _Does the WHOLE DAMNED SCHOOL know about this?!_

* * *

Wanda had headed outside to cool off after her sort-of row with Peter, knowing that soon enough she'd probably have to meet Erik Lehnsherr- assuming Peter went through with it and told him. She wasn't sure how she felt about that now. For years, she'd believed, from Mom's stories, that the guy was heartless, a sociopath who didn't care about anyone. But now... Raven and Charles both seemed to genuinely care for Erik, and so did Hank, though he was more grudging about it. And the fact that he had had another family, and that he _had_ helped stop that Apocalypse freak, and was now helping young mutants get to the school... She wasn't sure what to think. Yes, Erik had done terrible things, killed people. But she knew now that his first problem- his hate for Sebastian Shaw- was rooted in his love for his mother, long dead.

Wanda herself had killed Sean while defending her mother. It had been an accident, but she could still remember the anger. She had _wanted_ him to hurt, to suffer for hurting her mom. And he had.

So- not counting the scale of things- were she and Erik _really_ that different? Sighing, she shook her head. Best to just let things play out, she told herself, as she went back indoors to get a bottle of water. After that, she'd go apologise to Hank, and see if he wanted her help in fixing the Danger Room. She might not like the destruction of her powers, but hiding from messes she'd made wasn't like her. She'd help fix it.

She'd just pulled the fridge open when someone stormed into the kitchen with a deep, humourless laugh. She looked up, and tensed.

So, this was Erik Lehnsherr. Her and Peter's father. She eyed him as he began flipping open cupboards. He was tall, about her height. (Or, she supposed, she was about _his_ height.) He looked... normal. Stressed out and angry, almost frantic, but he didn't look like any sort of psycho.

He was still tossing open cupboards. "I need a drink. There had better be alcohol in here somewhere. _Strong_ alcohol."

She snorted, folding her arms and sneering. "You get the news that you're a father and your first instinct is to drown your sorrows in a bottle? _Pathetic_."

He whirled round to face her. (She might have startled him- had he not seen her when he'd come in? Maybe the news about her and Peter had left him in shock...) His face was now livid. He spoke through clenched teeth. "I'm sure you think your opinion is valid, but how I deal with shock really isn't anything to do with you. If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone."

Her eyes narrowed. _Nothing to do with her?!_ "I do mind. Sorry- wait, no I'm not. I was here first."

Erik stepped closer, expression darkening, clearly wanting to intimidate her. " _Leave_." Inwardly, he only intended to scare this annoying nosy girl away, not hurt her, but she didn't need to know that. She shouldn't stick her nose into other people's business!

So, Erik didn't want to face her now he knew? Ashamed, was he? Tough. Wanda glowered back. "Make me." She knew, from her experiments with Peter in the past, that she could block and control other mutants' abilities if she focused. And she had other ways of using her powers to defend herself. Just let Erik try and scare her off!

There was a metallic clanking, and all the cutlery and utensils that were lying around went airborne, flying towards her.

Wanda stood her ground, not even flinching, knowing what would happen. No projectile _ever_ hit her, unless she wanted it to. It wasn't even a conscious thing. _Wait for it..._

Inches from her face, all the metal objects collided or simply weren't in danger of hitting her any more. She wasn't sure how this worked- whether the things had moved, or just not been aimed at her any more, but as always, it all missed.

Erik's eyes widened a bit, but Wanda moved next. Her father thought that attacking her was a good way to introduce himself?! Well, two could play that game...

A red glow surrounded her hands, and she narrowed her eyes, focusing.

Erik let out an exclamation as all the metal he had been controlling simply dropped to the floor. It took him a few seconds after that to note the faint red glow surrounding him that held his powers and him paralysed.

Wanda grinned. "No powers until I decide to let them go. How's it feel to be essentially human?" _Sometimes, I wish I was..._ (She hoped Charles hadn't heard that.)

He glared at her. "I am not in the mood for games. Let. Me. Go."

"In a minute." Wanda was kind of enjoying this now. Her powers did have _some_ perks, as long as she kept a tight grip on them. "You attacked me, after all. How do I know you won't do it again?"

He looked at her like she was vermin. He was about to speak, and Wanda had no doubt it would be an insult, when running footsteps approached.

Raven ran into the kitchen, eyes panicked, though she relaxed visibly when it became obvious no-one was hurt. She looked from Erik to Wanda, not knowing what to do or say.

 _Wanda_ , Charles' voice echoed in her mind. _Wanda, Erik wasn't being cruel to you deliberately. He's in shock and hasn't realised who you are. Let him go. Please_.

Wanda sighed and let go her grip on Erik's powers. She saw him relax when he sensed his abilities again and smirked. He was still glaring at her, though.

"Did you think that was funny?"

"Little bit." Wanda shrugged. If he really hadn't worked out who she was, she was going to enjoy the reveal even more...

Raven took a tentative step closer. "If you two have finished fighting..."

Neither of them responded. Raven sighed. "OK, clearly you haven't figured this out yet, Erik, and Charles says no, the 'whole school' does not know about your children-"

"Then how does she?!" Erik retorted rudely, gesturing at Wanda.

Wanda nearly laughed out loud. Raven grimaced.

"Erik... this is Wanda Maximoff, Peter's twin sister."

 _ **To be continued...**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Erik stared at the girl- Wanda- dazedly for a few seconds, as if his mind had just had enough and couldn't process any more shocks.

Wanda folded her arms, waiting for him to speak first. He just shook his head, looking from her to Raven. Then, abruptly, he pinched his own arm, closing his eyes briefly. "I'd like to wake up now."

Wanda rolled her eyes. So he was hoping this wasn't real? Just her, or Peter as well?, she wondered.

Raven sighed heavily. "Erik, this isn't a dream."

"No," he agreed. "More like a damned nightmare."

Wanda huffed angrily. "I assure you, Peter and I aren't _that_ bad!" She glared at Erik. "And just so you know, telling you about us was _his_ idea, and if you act like this around Peter and hurt him because of it, I _will_ make you sorry."

Erik flinched slightly. Whether it was due to her threat or the idea of hurting Peter, Wanda had no idea. But he nodded slightly, so he'd gotten the message.

A strong gust of wind blew through the kitchen, leaving all three of them looking dishevelled. Wanda pushed her hair from her eyes to see Peter himself perched on the kitchen counter, grinning as always, but with a worried look in his eyes.

"Everything OK in here? Wanda, when did you meet Erik? What's going on?" He looked from Erik, to Wanda, to Raven. It wasn't clear who he was speaking to, but no-one replied. "Riiiight..." He focused on Erik. "Look, I'm sorry. We-"

Wanda narrowed her eyes at him. Peter corrected himself. " _I_ thought you deserved to know about Wanda and me, I didn't know it'd shock you that badly..."

Erik inhaled deeply. "It's... alright." Well, it wasn't, obviously, but he had to say something. "I didn't mean to run away like that, and I was wrong to lash out like I did when we met," here he looked at Wanda, "I had no intention of hurting you, even before I knew that you were..." _My daughter_. He raised his hands as if fending them off. "Just, please, may I have a bit of time to think? We can talk later..."

Wanda's brow furrowed. For herself, she had no idea if she actually _wanted_ to talk to Erik or not but it would be expected now that he knew about them. And she knew Peter wanted to get to know him, that's why this whole thing had started. "Fair enough. We're all really emotional right now. I think we all need time to calm down."

Raven rolled her eyes. "You couldn't have thought of that _before_ you two started fighting?"

Wanda shrugged. She had no intention of apologising. Erik had been the one to start it. "It won't happen again."

Peter sped between her and Raven. "Fight? What fight? Who was fighting?"

"Nothing. It's over, forget it." Wanda caught Peter's arm, pulling him from the room. "You heard Erik, he needs time." She couldn't resist a parting shot, though. "Twenty-seven years without us wasn't enough."

Erik flinched as Wanda yanked Peter from the room, then glared after her. Had that remark _really_ been necessary?

Raven was watching him with concern. "Erik-"

"Raven, just _go_ , please. I need to be alone right now." He buried his head in his hands, listening to Raven huff and leave the room with a muttered 'fine'. Could this really be happening? A father, again... or still, technically, since he'd been a father long before Nina... He gritted his teeth, forcing memories of his baby aside, trying to imagine Wanda and Peter when they'd been little, all the years that he'd missed. But the only image his mind wanted to show was the little girl he'd raised, loved and lost... that horrible day in the forest...

Unbidden, the memory altered. A flash of the same scene, but instead of Magda and Nina being impaled by the arrow, it was Wanda and Peter...

Erik ground his hands into his eyes. _Why_ had Peter insisted on telling him? Didn't he _realise_ that fortune was never kind to anyone Erik loved or called family? Wanda, for all her sarcasm and attitude, seemed to want to keep him at arms' length. And she was the smarter one. Nothing good would come of Erik being in the lives of Marya's children. He'd do better to stay far, far away.

 _That isn't true, Erik_. Charles' voice was earnest. _Peter at least is desperate to get to know you. He wants you to be a family..._

 _After what happened to my last one? No, Charles. I can't_. Erik's voice was weary, almost pleading with his old friend to understand.

 _Erik_...

 _I CAN'T!_ The all-too-real image of dead Peter and Wanda flashed behind Erik's eyes again. _I can't lose anyone else._

 _So you just refuse to let yourself care again? Erik, you're intelligent enough to know that won't work_.

Erik groaned. _Charles_...

 _Give them a chance. Give_ yourself _a chance. What happens may surprise you_.

Erik sighed heavily. _Are the twins alright? I didn't upset or scare them with my... outbursts?_

There was a brief pause, then Erik found he could hear the twins' voices. Charles must have been near enough to hear their spoken conversation and was playing telephone for Erik's benefit. He listened, trying not to feel guilty for listening- he wasn't eavesdropping, Charles was! And, now he was somewhat calmer, he _was_ feeling curious about these two strangers that were his children... He _should_ stay away, yet, despite knowing that, he wanted to be nearby, protecting them... He listened closely, smirking a bit at the twins' banter.

* * *

"... telling Erik was _your_ idea, and now you're too scared to admit to Mom what you've done?" Wanda laughed as she sprawled on the couch.

"No, I'm not _scared!"_ Peter protested, flinging his head back so it hung over the edge of the chair he sat sideways on, legs dangling over the armrest. "I just think we need some time to get used to Erik before we tell Mom he knows and open that can of worms. You know what she'll be like."

Wanda nodded. "OK, but when we- and I _mean_ we, not just you making the decision- decide to let her know, you're the one making that phone call."

"Just kill me now, why don't you?" Peter muttered. He could already hear Mom's lecture, her voice tinged with panic. She didn't trust Erik, he knew that, but the man was his and Wanda's _father_. He deserved to be in their lives, no matter what Mom thought. His mind darted to something else. "Hey, what was Raven saying about you and Erik fighting?"

Wanda shrugged. "Nothing really. He came marching into the kitchen, looking for booze- I'm assuming right after you told him- and I... may have got the wrong idea. I get now he didn't realise who I was, but didn't know that then. I said something sassy, he got mad, it escalated to us both using our powers to scare each other. But I won." She couldn't suppress a grin. "Blocked his abilities like I used to block yours. Then Raven interrupted, she introduced me, then you barged in."

Peter shuddered. "Seriously? I _hated_ how that felt!" His eyes lit up. "But hey! You used your powers and nothing bad happened!"

She rolled her eyes. "Peter-"

"I'm just saying, it's not all bad! Just like I've been telling you for years."

" _Fine_ , yes, occasionally my freaky impossible-to-really-control powers have their uses. Still doesn't mean I'm going to start using them as casually as you do."

"But if you just relaxed and stopped being so tense about using them, maybe-"

"Peter!" Wanda nearly yelled. The lightbulbs overhead exploded, showering sparks and glass powder on the twins.

Wanda arched a brow ironically. "...Still think I should use this power without thinking?"

Peter swallowed. "At least it was only a lightbulb, not the whole ceiling. _This_ I can fix in a heartbeat." And, just to prove it, he did.

Wanda sighed. "Thanks. Now, can we please get off the subject of my powers?"

"'Kay. Want to come hang out round Erik tomorrow? I'd say 'with' but he never lets anyone except the Prof hang _with_ him, so we'd just have to hover."

"No." Wanda shook her head. "You dealt with the first hurdle, telling him. I think we need to back off a bit, let him figure out how much he wants to be involved, if at all. Let him handle things at his pace, not yours."

Peter stuck his tongue out at her. "You sound really nerdy when you go all 'Psych degree' on me."

She smacked him in the arm. "Doesn't mean I'm wrong. I didn't get my degree from an arcade machine, little brother."

Peter scowled. "You're seven minutes older than me, and you never let me forget."

"Nope, never." Wanda smirked, before twisting to grab the TV remote. "Wanna see if there's any good movies on?"

After some bickering, (Wanda wanted to watch 'Malibu', while Peter wanted to see 'Carpool'), they decided to watch 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'. As the movie started, classes ended for the day and they were joined by Scott, Jean, Jubilee, Kurt and Ororo. (Wanda noted with some amusement that the young white-haired African woman was happy to squeeze on the same chair as Peter, despite there being plenty of room on the couch and other chairs. She'd have to tease Peter about Ororo later, as he seemed a little _too_ pleased to have her curled up with him...)

The atmosphere was relaxed as the movie progressed and the students chatted softly, including Peter and Wanda in their discussions when possible. Wanda began to see what Peter meant, about this being more a family than a simple school. It _did_ feel like a home here...

A metal mixing bowl filled with popcorn floated from the doorway, hovering in front of everyone. Most of them, focused on the movie, helped themselves without thinking, though Jean wore a knowing smile. Wanda's eyes flickered to the doorway, to see Erik hesitating, then slowly entering the room and taking the last chair, apparently planning to join in the movie night. He moved slowly, as if expecting to be asked to leave. But only Wanda and Jean seemed to have noticed his arrival.

Erik's eyes met Wanda's as the popcorn bowl hovered in front of her. She peered down. _Salt, ugh_. She made a tiny gesture at the bowl and it turned to toffee popcorn. (She hoped that was all she'd done.) Satisfied, she helped herself to a handful and nodded tersely at Erik before returning her gaze to the movie.

Erik did _not_ smile. Such a tiny victory didn't need a smile. But no-one had ordered him from the room, no-one was afraid to have him there, and he could enjoy watching the movie adaptation of one of his favourite author's books, while spending quality time with his new found-children, and he and Wanda had a possible truce- courtesy of popcorn. It was a start.

(Even if Peter and Ororo were making out in an armchair, apparently completely oblivious to their audience.) Erik smirked. He would tease Peter mercilessly later, threaten to give him 'the talk'...

* * *

Colonel William Stryker looked around at the _tiny_ military base he and his men had been forced to relocate to after Alkali Lake was wrecked, sighing. There was nowhere near enough space or equipment here, not for what he had planned.

"How go the repairs at Alkali Lake?" He snapped at no-one in particular. Someone would answer.

"They're coming along, sir." The young lab technician sounded nervous. "The base should be usable again in a matter of days."

"About time," Stryker muttered darkly. "Any progress on the location of Weapon X?"

"N-no, sir. No sign of it. But t-there is one piece of good news..."

"Spit it out."

"The mutant you wanted, with the powers you planned to graft onto the younger one..."

Stryker's heart rate picked up. "What about _it_?"

"R-records show the mutant is at Xavier's school now."

Stryker frowned. "We'll never capture it out of there, that place is too secure." He straightened. "I'll send a strike team to shadow our target, to acquire it when it leaves the school grounds." He stepped forward, pressing a hand to a panel of one-way glass, looking at the tiny figure huddled in the corner of the bare white room. "And how fares our other small guest here?"

"Still not speaking, very traumatized. But no longer malnourished, and the fever's gone."

"Good. We were lucky to find this one before it died for real." Stryker chuckled at the irony- Magneto had gone on a rampage and joined that Apocalypse thing because of his daughter's death, when in fact the freak had lived. He'd buried her alive! And if it hadn't been for Stryker's men, then, however the kid had managed to heal and dig herself out, she wouldn't have survived long, alone in the forest.

As if the kid sensed his gaze, it looked up. Wide, scared, brown eyes stared up, unblinking. Stryker smiled eerily, even though he knew the kid couldn't see him. Finding this mutant had been a massive stroke of luck- it would make it far easier to gain control of the powers of the primary target, once they were implanted into someone younger, more tractable. Controlling the mutant born with the power he needed would be all but impossible- that freak was far too old. Giving the power to another? _Far_ simpler. That kind of power, in a mutant that would be totally under his control as it grew up? It was Stryker's dream come true.

He looked back at the scientist. "Just keep the little one healthy until the primary target is acquired. That thing is no use if it's too weak to handle the genetic transference."

"Y-yes, sir." The young man stammered as Stryker marched away.

* * *

Nina huddled in the corner of the cold room she'd been in since the bad men brought her here. She wasn't sure what had happened. The bad men had wanted to take Papa away, her bird friends had come to help, then it all went black. She'd woken up later, in a hole in the ground, buried, with Mama. There had been a pain in her chest. She had cried and cried for help, but Mama hadn't woken up, but then her friends the deer had managed to dig her out. The hole was surrounded by dead birds and squirrels, which had made her cry. They weren't hurt, so why were they dead? Had they all gotten sick? She'd put them in the hole with Mama, then gone home to find Papa, but he wasn't there. The bad men must have taken him! She had run back into the woods, determined to wait until Papa got away from the bad people and came and got her. She knew the deer would take care of her til then.

Then, a couple of nights later, she'd heard lots of loud noise- cars, and a weird whirring noise she didn't recognise. She'd told the deer to go hide, in case it was hunters- she didn't want the deer hurt! Then there had been lots of lights in the woods, and men's voices. She'd inched closer, to see if Papa was with them. But all the men wore black, and had guns. She'd tried to run- it was the bad men again, and now they'd come to get _her!_ Something had pricked her neck, she'd fallen, it went black again, and then she'd woken up in this cold place. They kept giving her injections and yucky food, and she had to wear this metal collar thing that hurt her if she called for any animals, but no-one talked to her, and there were no animal friends here, and it was so _cold_.

She whimpered, curling up even smaller, rocking back and forth. Why hadn't Papa come to save her yet? Had he forgotten her? Didn't he want her at all anymore?

Nina began to cry again, helplessly. _Papa! Where are you?!_

 _ **To be continued...**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

It had been several days since the twins' revelation to Erik and things had been (relatively) calm. There was still an awkwardness between him and his newfound family, and the two subjects that were unanimously ignored were Marya, and Magda and Nina, but, he reflected, things could be worse. Peter could be irritating, and had recently been causing havoc with practical jokes, and Wanda seemed to relish challenging _every single thing_ that Erik said, but they weren't actively shunning him, and so far, his world hadn't imploded again. He was starting to feel faint stirrings of hope that maybe, _this_ time, he had something that might last...

A shot of cold wind nearly knocked Erik off his feet, disturbing his thoughts. He steadied himself, then looked around for Peter, recognising the wind as the speedster's having run past him, but the boy was long gone.

"PETER MAXIMOFF!" Hank's yell echoed through the hall. "How many times do I have to tell you not to run in my lab?!" The blue-furred mutant stomped into view. Erik quickly (deliberately) stepped into Hank's path, blocking his way.

"That's three weeks worth of lab samples you've smashed, Peter, you menace!" Hank caught sight of Erik and froze, probably realising that yelling at/about Erik's son within earshot of Erik himself wasn't the smartest move. "Uh... Erik, do you have any idea which way Peter might have gone?"

"No, but knowing him, he's probably at the other end of the school grounds by now. Unless he stopped in the kitchen for a snack. You might find him there if you're lucky." Erik didn't move from the centre of the corridor, forcing Hank to edge slowly round him (thus giving Peter more of a head start, not that he'd need one, really.) Hank nearly seemed to be growling as he stomped off.

Once he'd gone, Erik grinned wryly, shaking his head. One of the things he'd learned about Peter the last few days was that, despite being within sight of thirty, the boy was remarkably immature. He had a strong suspicion that Peter had messed with Hank's lab on purpose, as one of his jokes, and Erik supposed he should go and have a word with him about that. It was what fathers did with misbehaving children, after all... and he _did_ have a good idea where Peter might be.

He headed to the main part of the school, then made his way up to Wanda's room, as that was where Peter usually bolted to when hiding after a prank went wrong. Erik braced himself for another battle of wits with his daughter as he knocked on her closed door. He thought he heard movement inside. "Wanda? Are you there?"

"No, the door's opening and I'm talking to you because I'm on the opposite side of the school right now." Wanda opened the door, greeting Erik with her customary eye-roll.

"Hilarious. Is Peter there?"

She shrugged. "Maybe."

"Can I speak to him?"

A slight grin curled her lips. "I don't know, _can_ you?"

Erik inhaled deeply. "Fine. _May_ I talk to Peter, please?"

She made a show of glancing behind her. "Sorry, no."

Erik assumed Peter had told her no, and he counted to ten in his head. "I think you and I would both rather I discipline Peter for wrecking the lab, than let Hank do it."

Wanda's eyes darkened. "Discipline?"

"I just meant talk to him! If I don't, either Hank or Charles will. You don't need to make this difficult." Erik tried to use a reasonable voice.

Wanda shrugged. "Maybe I'd rather the telling-off came from Charles or Hank. They're the _actual_ staff members here, after all..."

Erik made a conscious effort not to grind his teeth. She was so infuriating at times! And to make things worse, she was trying not to laugh, clearly enjoying this. _Fine_. He'd play her at her own game. (How did it always end up coming to that? He'd yet to win a dispute with her...) He shrugged casually. "Well, if I speak to him, as a family member and not a member of the school's staff, he won't get much of a punishment, will he?" He tried for a friendly smile. "But if one of the teachers deals with this, he will likely be in considerably more trouble." He tried to peer past her into her room, hoping Peter could hear this- he might take the hint and stop hiding.

Wanda sighed, pushing the door open. Erik stared at... an empty room.

He turned back to Wanda. "Why didn't you just say he wasn't here?!"

She actually laughed. "You didn't ask."

Erik counted to ten very slowly in his mind, to calm his rising pulse. "Do you have any idea where he is?"

"Yeah."

A pause.

"Are you going to tell me?!"

"Hmm..." Wanda tilted her head to one side with a grin, considering the matter.

Erik's glare softened immediately and a small smile appeared on his face. The way she tilted her head, that grin... _Nina..._ Wanda blinked, surprised, at the change. "What?"

"You just looked... a lot like Nina just then. That gesture..."

Wanda scuffed her foot, unsure what to say now. Her and Erik's verbal sparring usually ended when someone butted in and/or one of them stormed off. Nostalgia about Erik's other family had been a taboo subject so far, as well. And to hear that she reminded Erik of his lost little girl... that she in some way resembled Nina, and so by default resembled _him_... Wanda was left at a loss for words.

The silence grew uncomfortable. Finally, Wanda swallowed, speaking quietly. "Peter said something about the stables, and a joke. He's probably still there if you wanted a word."

"Oh for God's sake, he had better not be feeding candy to the horses or something..." Erik headed off, already worried about what Peter might be up to now. He glanced back at Wanda. "Feel like coming to knock some sense into him with me?"

"No, I promised I'd play escort to Jubilee- she's got an afternoon free of class and wants to go to the mall, but everyone else is busy, so I said I'd take her. And good luck trying to knock sense into Peter. I've been trying for years- total lost cause."

Erik nodded once, heading off.

Wanda fidgeted with a curl of her hair. "But, um, thanks." _Man, this feels weird_. "Maybe we can hang out later or something? You could tell me about... Nina," Just saying the name felt like defiling a shrine. "If you wanted. She sounded like a very special little girl."

Erik paused, his eyes shining. He spoke without looking back at her, his stance rigid. "She was. And she'd have liked you. She often wished for a sister." He swallowed the lump in his throat, before coughing to hide the emotion in his voice. "I'd better go hunt down Peter. We can talk later. Have fun at the mall." His voice was as stern as ever as he walked away.

Wanda sighed heavily, leaning on the doorframe. Her first real conversation with Erik (that didn't involve trying to one-up each other) and she had no idea if she'd made progress, or not. She _did_ want to hear about the little girl he'd loved so much, her little half-sister who she'd never know now, but did Erik want to discuss his past with her, really? He'd seemed emotional, but then had shut down seconds later. She shook her head slightly. All she could do was wait. The ball was in his court. If he came to find her to talk, great. If not... that was up to him, if he was ready or not. She couldn't force him.

 _Anyway_ , she thought as she checked her watch. _Better go and meet Jubilee. We have to leave in five minutes if we're going to avoid taking half the students with us- their classes end soon_. She darted back into her room, started dragging a brush through her mane of curly hair, heard Jubilee calling from the front hall, and gave up, yanking it into a ponytail instead, before grabbing the keys to the rental car that she still had, pulling on a jacket and running down the stairs.

In minutes, she and Jubilee had left the grounds. Wanda made light conversation with the teen as she drove. Her problems with Erik could wait until she got back.

They headed up the streets, then into the city. They never noticed the black cars tailing them the whole way.

* * *

After a couple hours of window shopping, Wanda was kind of bored, but Jubilee seemed to be having the time of her life, and she didn't want to burst the kid's bubble. She glanced around for escape ideas and settled on the food court.

"Hey, Jubilee? Wanna get something to eat and sit down for a bit? We can come look round more stores later." Though just what was so enthralling at looking at clothes and accessories for hours totally baffled Wanda.

Jubilee looked around wistfully. "OK. I _am_ kinda hungry. But we're not done, right? We can come back later?"

"Yeah, sure." Wanda steered her towards the seating in the food court. "You go ahead and order. I want pizza, not fussed on toppings, but no anchovies. I'll be back in a sec." She headed for the restroom as Jubilee waved a waitress over.

Wanda only got as far as the narrow corridor that had the 'Ladies' and 'Gents' signs on the doors at either end when the outer door slammed open and three black clad men came in, surrounding her so she couldn't leave the way she'd come, or move in either direction. They stared at her in silence, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

"Can I help you guys?" She drew on the tiniest fraction of her power, in case it was needed.

A static burst from a handheld radio on one of the guy's belts made Wanda jump.

"Shadow Team, report, what's your status?" The voice coming from the radio was ominous. Wanda backed up a bit. This was _not_ good. She could fight her way out if needed, but the thought of losing control in a busy mall, of hurting someone by accident, made her hesitate. Her powers could easily kill someone... maybe it would be better to try and call to Xavier telepathically instead?

One of the men sneered at her before speaking. "Target cornered, but not yet acquired. Civilians nearby. Request permission to cover our tracks, sir."

"Granted. Just don't make too big a scene. And _do not_ lose primary target. The General will have our heads if it gets away." The radio went silent, and the black-clad team moved swiftly, as if they'd choreographed this. One of them seized Wanda's hands, effectively rendering her powers useless, as hand movement was required for her to use them, another smashed the fire alarm with his elbow, sending the alarm screeching, and the last guy lunged forward, something small flashing in his hand. Wanda felt a sharp prick in her upper arm, and immediately felt woozy.

"What..." Her knees buckled. She felt the guys grab her arms and legs and lift her, and tried to struggle, but her limbs weren't listening to her brain and she was so _tired_... Through the closed door, she could hear the staff evacuating the food court, leading the customers to wait outdoors until the fire department came.

The men were moving now, carrying her somewhere. She had no idea where, her eyes wouldn't focus. One of them was speaking into his radio again, but his words made no sense. Her head swam.

 _Xavier! Charles! Help!_ She screamed the thought as loud as she could, praying that he heard. _They're taking me..._

Everything went black.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Peter was lounging on the sofa, tucking into a bag of chips, having burned off some energy helping Hank repair the Danger Room and needing to refuel. He was also trying- again- to think of ways to get his father and his sister to be less hostile to each other. There hadn't been any more major fights, but whenever they were in the same room, they always seemed to end up snapping at each other. Peter frowned. _He_ didn't have that issue with Erik, or 'Dad' as he'd started calling him in his mind, so how come Wanda did? He'd have to try and talk to her later, after she got back from the mall... although he knew from past experience that when Wanda's mind was made up, it'd take an act of God to change it.

He stifled a sigh. _How_ could he make her give Erik a chance? He closed his eyes for a second- and his whole body went rigid with fear, his heart pounding frantically. He leapt to his feet, recognizing the second-hand emotion he was sensing. This was rare, and Wanda was more often on the receiving end than he was, more aware of _his_ emotions, so if he was sensing hers now, to this extent... Something was badly wrong.

The feeling cut off abruptly, the link between his mind and his twin's all but nonexistent.

Peter's blood felt like ice. He raced through the halls at top speed, not bothering to dodge obstacles or people.

 _Charles!_ he yelled with his mind, as loud as he could. _There's something wrong with my sister!_ He had no idea if the telepath had heard or not, but by then he had already gotten to the study, grabbed the handles of Charles' wheelchair and was taking him at top speed to Cerebro.

He only paused at the hi-tech doors because he remembered that Charles needed to give a retinal scan to get into Cerebro, and as good as the super computer was, it couldn't move at Peter's speeds.

He zipped back and forth across the corridor (his version of pacing) while a disgruntled Charles opened Cerebro's doors, muttering about how Peter could have asked _before_ doing that. At least Charles seemed to know what was going on, as he wasn't wasting time demanding an explanation. _He must've heard me calling him after all_ , Peter thought as he again took hold of the wheelchair, wanting Charles at Cerebro and checking on Wanda as soon as possible. A nanosecond later, they were at Cerebro's controls. Charles ducked his head for a second, breathing deeply, face pale. Peter began tapping his foot on the floor. They didn't have _time_ for Charles to feel ill because of Peter's powers! Wanda was _in danger_.

"Hasn't it occurred to you," Charles managed, "That if you hadn't insisted on using your powers without warning me, I would be able to work faster?"

Peter ran his hands through his hair. "Sorry. Lecture me later. Find my sister first!"

Charles looked steadily at him. "I will. She cried for help telepathically the same time you sensed her distress, so I already have a basic location. We'll find her soon." Charles closed his eyes and Cerebro powered up.

Peter shook his head wildly. "This is nuts! She and Jubilee only went to the _mall_. What could've happened?!" The chilling thought of Wanda's losing control of her powers and a mob forming made him shudder. "Maybe I should go and look-" He was already preparing to run back to the upper levels and out of the school when a hand grasped his shoulder. He whirled, fist raised- and froze when he realized he'd nearly decked Erik. _When did he come down here?_

His question must've shown on his face because Erik replied, his face fraught with tension. "Charles called me down here, but I was already on my way after you ran off with him." He turned his gaze from Peter to Charles, his tone sharper now. "You said something had happened to Wanda."

"The minds of the people in the mall seem to believe there was a fire scare, and that's why they were evacuated. Jubilee is with them, but Wanda isn't. I'm trying to locate her now. Interestingly, Peter seems to have a slight psychic connection to her. He was aware of trouble before I was."

Erik, his mind whirling, turned and glowered at Peter. "You _knew_ something was wrong and yet even with your speed couldn't get there in time?!" He was well aware he was irrational, but he didn't care. Again, a child of his was in danger, and he couldn't think clearly. He'd be damned if he failed Nina again!

 _Wanda_ , he corrected himself firmly. _Wanda, not Nina_. Nina was d- gone. He wouldn't let her sister share the same fate.

Belatedly, he noticed that Peter was yelling at him, but speaking too fast to be understood. His anger at Erik's accusation was obvious though.

The sound of the elevator, and Raven's marching in, broke the moment. She looked from one to the other, rolling her eyes, before looking at Charles. "I got your message. Hank's gone to get Jubilee, and I've warned Scott, Jean and the others we might need to head out. Any sign of Wanda?"

"No..." Charles' voice was distracted. "But several of the people who were nearby when the fire alarm was tripped remember seeing men in black camoflauge clothing."

"So what, military?" Raven's tone was businesslike. "But they made a lot of noise... awful lot of trouble to go through for one mutant."

"Wanda's powers are unique." Erik's tone was calm and controlled- too much so. "And if, somehow, it became known she was my daughter..."

Raven finished the thought. "Then I know at least one guy with the military clout to pull this off, who's shown a lot of interest in mutants before."

Charles nodded bleakly, removing the Cerebro helmet, his face grim as he turned to look at them. "I can't find any trace of Wanda, which likely means she's unconscious. I'll contact Moira, see if she has any idea where Stryker might be. I agree he's the most likely candidate for this, but I can't think of any specific reason he'd want Wanda..."

Peter blinked rapidly. "Stryker? That guy who rounded us up after the mansion blew up? _He_ took my sister?"

"It's _possible_ ," Charles' tone was cautious. "We don't know anything for sure yet."

"I could be back at that Alkali Lake place in less than an hour, start searching." Peter suggested.

Erik nodded. "Could you take someone with you at that speed?" _This could end before tomorrow_.

"Yeah." Peter nodded.

" _NO!_ " Raven and Charles spoke in unison. The father and son duo glared at them, silently demanding reasons why not.

Raven focused on Erik first. "Erik, you weren't with us when Stryker captured us before. The guy builds _everything_ to contain mutants. We barely got out. You don't know what you'd be walking into." She turned to Peter. "And even _if_ he's still at the same place, and you and Erik get there and find Wanda, then what? We both know you can't use your powers and carry _three_ people. You'd either have to leave Erik there, or Wanda, and make two trips to escape."

Erik and Peter looked nearly identical in that moment as they fumed, neither wanting to admit that she was right.

Charles took charge. "Right. Erik, you go and make sure the X-Jet is ready to leave at a moment's notice. Raven, make sure the team's ready too." He paused, looking at her apologetically. "Either you or Hank will have to stay here at the school when we leave, to mind the other students. Sort it out between you; I don't mind who stays. I'll go and call Moira, see if she has heard anything about Stryker lately, then I'll resume using Cerebro for anything unusual. As soon as we learn anything, we'll move out." He began to leave, heading for the elevator.

Peter sped in front of him, blocking his way. "Hey! What do I do, just sit round doing nothing?!"

A humourless smile crossed Charles' face. "No, I imagine your task will be the most frightening of all." He met Peter's gaze. "Your mother needs to be told what's going on, that Wanda appears to be missing. Though I wouldn't go into more detail yet, but that's up to you."

Peter's face went bloodless and he gulped audibly. Telling _Mom_ about this. A shudder ran through him as he pictured her reaction to Wanda's being kidnapped.

He'd sooner face Apocalypse again.

* * *

Cold. That was the first thing Wanda was aware of as she slowly came round. She was lying down on an icy cold surface. Her head ached dully, her stomach churned and her mouth was dry and parched. Had she been out clubbing and drunk too much or something? She struggled to remember what had happened as she pried her eyes open.

 _I was at the mall... guys in black came in... then... nothing_. Now she was... here. 'Here' apparently being a white tiled room with brilliant florescent lighting, but no furniture. Groaning, she sat up, reaching to massage the kinks from her neck, only to find her reach blocked by a bulky metal collar. Wanda tensed- she'd heard rumours of devices like this. Concentrating, she tried to draw on her powers, only to feel a searing pain as the collar shocked her. _A power dampener_. She stopped immediately. If she was captive somewhere, as all this seemed to suggest, then she needed to keep calm and stay conscious, and as alert as possible. She took a few deep breaths, and glanced around. No obvious doors or windows, and a strange green light surrounding the walls. _Some kind of electrical field?_

"Ah, awake at last." A smug male voice came from somewhere above.

Wanda scrambled to her feet, only now noticing that, several meters above the walls, was a glass panel, like an observation area in a zoo. The thought made her grit her teeth, face twisting with anger. "Cage me like an animal, will you, whoever you are? You'll be sorry!" She didn't bother to keep her voice down- no point in whoever had taken her thinking she would be docile, powers or no powers. A dark haired man in his late thirties, clad in army fatigues stared down at her, He nodded at her. "Ms Maximoff. My name is William Stryker."

He was being _polite_ after having her kidnapped?! Wanda wished she had something, anything, to throw at the glass, to show him _exactly_ how she felt right now.

He watched her pace back and forth, scowling, before nodding abruptly, his expression calculating, and turning away. He gestured towards someone out of Wanda's line of sight, and walked away.

Wanda stifled a scream and slammed a fist into a wall in frustration. _Stop_. She told herself. _Losing your temper won't get you out of this._ But what would? She had no idea where she was, and though she'd tried to call to Xavier as she was knocked out, she had no way of knowing if he'd heard. If he hadn't, how long would it take for anyone at the school to realize something was wrong? And Jubilee had been with her... Had she been taken too? Or worse... No, if this Stryker had wanted Jubilee, he'd have had his goons attack when they were together. They'd waited til Wanda was alone, so she had to assume she'd been the only target.

There was a scraping noise at the other side of the room. Wanda's eyes shot that way as the green light faded, a door was shoved open to allow a tiny figure to stumble into the room and was swiftly slammed shut again before Wanda could take two steps towards it.

She cursed under her breath, before looking at the new arrival. It was a little girl, brown haired, far too thin, absolutely tiny and shaking like a leaf. She also wore a power dampening collar like Wanda's.

Wanda blinked a couple of times before movement in her peripheral vision alerted her that Stryker had returned to stare down at her and the child. He was actually _smirking_ now. She scowled in response.

"You've got your father's attitude, I see." Stryker's smile grew. "But I'm going to make something clear. I had you brought here so my men can perform tests on you and make good use of your mutant gifts. You _will_ co-operate with them when necessary."

Wanda snorted. "Dream on, you psycho."

He raised a brow, looking from her to the cowering little girl, who couldn't be older than eight. Wanda followed his gaze, only now seeing something familiar in the little girl... She narrowed her eyes, trying to remember if she'd met this kid before. Was she from Xavier's?

"A little miracle, isn't she?" Stryker said casually. "My men found her in Poland, living wild in the forest. She somehow healed from an arrow to the chest, dug herself out of her mom's grave and survived for weeks til we found her."

Wanda froze. _Poland? Arrow through the chest?_ But it _couldn't_ be... She stared at the kid, then back up at Stryker in disbelief.

He was nodding. "You get it. Good." His lip curled. "You two don't look much alike, but I am glad you've met your sister."

Wanda's gaze darted back to the child- Nina, her apparently-not-deceased half-sister- and found the girl now watching her, wide eyed.

Stryker spoke again. "As I said, you _will_ co-operate with my men and any tests they need to run. Otherwise... well, you wouldn't be much of a big sister if you let the little one get hurt, would you?" His eyes were hard as stone. "I need the girl alive for reasons of my own. That does _not_ mean she has to be uninjured. So do we have an understanding, Ms Maximoff?"

Wanda's blood boiled. _When I get out of here, I am going to kill this monster myself_. Looking at Nina, hunched up like she wanted to disappear, Wanda swallowed her rage and made herself nod.

Stryker smiled with feigned warmth. "Good. Now I'll let you get on with your family reunion." He strode away, disappearing from sight in seconds.

Wanda glared after him before making a conscious effort to calm her expression and eyeing the still trembling Nina. What had the poor kid been through- a near death experience, seeing her mother's body, her father vanished without trace, living alone in the woods for God knew how long, then dragged here and treated like a lab rat...

Mentally, Wanda listed long, slow ways to kill Stryker and his followers when she and Nina were free. For now though, if they were going to escape somehow, she had to get Nina to trust her... Watching the little girl cowering in the corner, curling into a ball when Wanda took a step closer, the older mutant realised that wouldn't be easy.

Thinking quickly, she sat down cross-legged so she was at Nina's level, and smiled gently, pretending not to notice that Nina was doing a credible impression of a scared hedgehog.

Nina's big brown eyes were fixed on her though, so Wanda took that as a good sign.

"Hi." She spoke as gently as possible. "I'm Wanda. What's your name?" She knew it, of course, but Nina had to be willing to communicate with her or gaining her trust would never work.

"..." Nina's mouth had opened and closed, but no words came out. She'd mouthed her name though, and it had been understandable, so Wanda was encouraged.

"Nina, did you say?"

A nod.

"That's a very pretty name. Much prettier than mine. A lovely name for such a pretty girl." Wanda sat back, looking as relaxed as possible.

Nina peeked at her, shuffled forward about a centimetre, then froze again, arms wrapped round herself.

Wanda feigned a shiver. "It's cold in here, isn't it?"

Another nod. Moving slowly, Wanda slipped off her jacket. "You can borrow this if you want. It'll be big on you, but I can wrap you up in it. It'll make you nice and warm..."

Slowly, over several minutes, Nina inched closer. Moving with the speed of a glacier, Wanda wrapped her jacket round the little girl, tucking it round her like it was a blanket. This room wasn't especially cold, but Nina was young, and apart from anything else, being cocooned might give her some feeling of safety.

Nina's eyes stayed on Wanda, and she wondered what the little girl might be thinking. Stryker had called them sisters in earshot of Nina, but had she even registered that, as scared as she'd been? As she didn't seem willing to talk yet, it was impossible to tell.

Acting on impulse, Wanda shifted backwards until she was leaning on the wall, sitting as if she was planning to sleep. She left her lap clear and her arms lay at her sides, as if waiting to hug someone, but she didn't speak or look at Nina. She just waited...

Eventually, when her legs had just begun to cramp, Nina tiptoed over, clutching Wanda's jacket to her like her life depended on it, and crept into Wanda's lap, her little body tense.

Wanda focused on breathing deeply and regularly, hoping her steady breathing and heartbeat would soothe the little girl. Her baby sister. Infinitely slowly, Nina snuggled up to her and Wanda cuddled her close, guessing she was craving being held after being alone for so long. Very gently, she began stroking the soft brown hair, and at last, Nina's head drooped to Wanda's shoulder as she fell into a deep sleep, probably for the first time in weeks.

 _Now I just hope she doesn't panic when she wakes and I'm holding her_ , Wanda thought grimly. Out of nowhere, a bizarre thought came to her and she stifled a laugh. _Erik freaked when he learned he still had two children. Imagine his reaction when he learns he still has three!_

The half hysterical thought soon became an emotional one. Wanda gazed down at Nina, pushing aside thoughts of Stryker and experiments. _We are going to get out of here, and bring this whole mess of a family back together. It'll be good for Erik as well as Nina_.

She wasn't sure when she started caring about Erik's mental state, but holding onto that thought ensured she didn't panic about being a captive _and_ solely responsible for a helpless little girl who'd already been through hell.

She pillowed her cheek on her baby sister's head. _I'll find a way to get us out of this place, Nina. Somehow. I promise._

* * *

 _ **To be continued...**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

Wanda's eyes shot open as the door hissed open and cold air knifed across her skin. When the hell had she fallen asleep?! Stryker strode in, followed by two guys in lab coats and about four armed men in military fatigues. Nina, still in Wanda's arms, woke up slowly, disoriented, took in the sight of Stryker and his goons and whimpered, burrowing back into Wanda's arms, trembling. Wanda squeezed her in a hug, trying to reassure her, before glaring up at Stryker.

"What?"

He grinned, a wolf's grin. "My scientists need to do some preliminary exams on you, and Nina here needs another blood draw."

Wanda wanted to tell him to go to hell, and try and fight them off, but she hadn't forgotten Stryker's threat to hurt Nina if she didn't go along with his plans, plus she still had on the collar that prohibited her using her powers. She settled for glaring daggers at all of them, and embracing Nina as close as she could. "Fine." She spat. "But Nina and I are staying together."

Stryker looked at the scientists. When they didn't object, he shrugged. "Fine. Follow me." _After all, it might make the baby freak easier to control_. He was sick of the kid's hysteria every time they had to carry out a procedure. Nodding to the soldiers, he signalled for them to surround the mutants, weapons on view, but not yet aimed.

Wanda slid Nina from her lap, wincing as her lower back cramped for sitting too long, and stood slowly, trying to encourage Nina to do the same, but the little girl wouldn't budge, eyes closed, hands pressed to her ears. Wanda completely ignored their audience, moving to kneel in front of her small sister, gambling that, as Stryker seemed to want them both for whatever reason, that she wouldn't be punished for trying to get Nina to co-operate.

"Nina, sweetheart, can you look at me?" Gently, she touched the little girl's face. "Please?"

Huge brown tear filled eyes, wide with fear, met hers, and Wanda's heart broke. She hated herself for being part of this, making this _child_ do something that might well be painful, when she'd been through more than enough already. Boiling rage at Stryker erupted in her veins once more, but she stifled it for Nina's sake.

"Good girl." She stroked her hair. "You've been really brave so far." Wanda smiled. "You're making me feel brave as well." Nina didn't respond, except with a blink, but Wanda continued. "We have to go with these men for a little while, but then we can come back here and talk some more, alright?"

Nina peeked at Stryker's men, then shuddered from head to toe, biting her lip. She pulled Wanda's borrowed jacket tighter round herself, and looked anxiously at Wanda, who took a guess at what she might mean. "I'll be with you the whole time, I promise." She stared straight into Nina's eyes. "I'll never leave you. Cross my heart." She made the X across her heart, and waited, hoping Nina wouldn't do anything to anger Stryker, who was already tutting impatiently.

Very slowly, Nina stood, staying as close to Wanda as possible, keeping her gaze on the floor. Wanda exhaled silently in relief as she stood up again. "Well done. You're just as brave as Supergirl." Not that Nina probably had any idea who that was. "Do you want me to hold your hand, honey?"

A pause, then a silent head-shake. After a minute, Nina twitched her arms upwards towards Wanda, asking to be picked up.

Well, why not? Nina was small for her age, and she had been starved of contact for at least a month. With a grunt, Wanda hefted her into her arms. Nina's legs wrapped round her waist and she hid her face in Wanda's shoulder.

"If you are quite finished." Stryker snapped. He didn't wait for a reply, beginning to stride down a corridor.

It was probably good he hadn't waited for her to answer, Wanda mused, as she'd probably have either started swearing, or spat at him. Neither of which would do Nina any good!

Wanda kept her eyes peeled for any doors or windows, looking for potential escape points, but saw nothing but blank stone walls. _Damnit_.

She whispered softly to Nina as they followed Stryker into a brightly lit lab, about how brave she was being, that Wanda loved her and wouldn't ever leave her.

She just hoped it was enough to keep her calm while these scientists carried out whatever 'tests' they had in mind.

* * *

Peter's fingers drummed frantically, and his foot tapped in time with his pulse as he tried to get up the nerve to actually phone Mom. And tell her that Wanda had gone missing. He groaned. _Kill me now, somebody, it'll be faster_.

He dragged in several deep breaths and dialled home before he lost his nerve. What the heck was he supposed to _say_?

The phone began ringing, and Peter's stomach churned. Mom would flay him alive- Wanda was only _at_ the school because of him, and now his twin could be anywhere, going through god-knew-what-

"Hello?" Mom's voice, sounding quite relaxed, made Peter's heart stand still.

"Mom... it's Peter." His mouth was dry. "I-I have to tell you something..."

"Peter?" Her tone was wary now. "What's going on? Is everything alright?"

"No." Peter's throat swelled shut and he had to swallow hard before speaking again. "It... It's Wanda."

"What? What's happened?!" The words were sharp with worry. "Is she alright?"

"...She's missing." Just saying the words out loud made Peter start to panic.

There was a wordless exclamation from Marya, and some clattering noises that made him think she might've dropped the phone. He could imagine her face paling as she pictured the worst, Wanda being hurt or even killed... _And it might even be true_ , a voice in his mind pointed out, making him shiver. Telling Mom that Wanda had disappeared made it feel a hell of a lot more real.

"Peter." Mom's voice was curt now, businesslike, the way it always went when she was trying to solve a problem rather than worry about it. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah," he managed, in a rasp that didn't even sound like his voice.

"Are you still at that school?"

"Um, yeah-"

"I'm coming up there. Don't leave until I arrive. And tell whoever's in charge that I'll want answers."

Peter jumped. "What? Mom, wait, um... Da- Erik's still here..."

But she had already hung up.

He groaned, loudly. _This is going to be a disaster_.

* * *

After a few tests on Wanda- blood draw, EEG, MRI scan- the scientists moved on to Nina, who huddled back against Wanda, trembling, until they forcibly dragged her away. Wanda was restrained by one of the security guards so she could only watch Nina helplessly as she was strapped to a table and had blood and bone marrow drawn from her without any reassurance whatsoever. The hopeless look on the child's face made Wanda simultaneously feel heartbroken and had her blood boiling with anger. Who were these so-called doctors, what sort of monsters, to treat a traumatized little girl like this?!

Nina's big brown eyes, shining with tears, found Wanda's as another syringe was prepared, and the scientists pinned Nina's skinny arm down, clearly ready to inject her again. Tears ran down Nina's face, and her lower lip trembled, but she didn't make a sound, only kept staring at Wanda.

It was too much. Wanda squirmed, managing to jam her elbow into the gut of the guy holding her back. He let go of her with a surprised grunt, and she pushed her way to Nina's side just as she was injected again. Ignoring the protests of the scientists, Wanda took Nina's little hand in hers, and caressed her brow with the other.

"It's alright, sweetheart, it's over for now." She glared round at the white-coated men, daring them to contradict her. One of them, a guy who looked barely older than Wanda herself, couldn't make eye contact with her, and Wanda filed that away for future reference- this guy didn't seem too fond of what they were doing, that could be useful later. She gently wiped tears from Nina's face, re-focusing on her sister, speaking softly. "You're doing really well. I think you must be braver than me." She wanted to tell Nina that this was wrong, and the men should be stopped, that they'd be out of this _hellhole_ soon, but she was afraid of what might happen if she said too much. If Stryker decided to separate them, or worse, carried out his threat to make Nina suffer if Wanda stepped out of line...

Nina's eyes slid shut. Wanda's heart-rate jumped, and she shook her slightly. "Nina?" There was no response, but the little girl's breathing was deep and even. Wanda whirled to glare at the guy who'd injected her. "You sedated her. Why?"

The automatic doors of the lab hissed open as she spoke, and Stryker came in. He must have heard her words, as he was the one who replied.

"Our primary facility is ready for use again now, so we're relocating there. Once we get there, our _real_ testing can begin. Miss Lehnsherr will be kept sedated for the journey to make it easier for us to move her. I'll let you stay with her, but you'll be in restraints. With her asleep, you'll be in no position to try anything, will you?" He laughed. "I mean, how far would you get, if you tried to run, in handcuffs and with a sleeping kid?" He unstrapped Nina from the table and lifted her, keeping hold of her as several armed men followed him into the room, guns trained on Wanda.

Stryker tightened his grip on Nina as one of the scientists approached Wanda, holding out a set of handcuffs. Stryker's eyes stayed fixed on hers.

Wanda bristled, having got the message. Stryker was literally holding Nina hostage until she'd let herself be cuffed. As if she'd try anything anyway, with guns pointed at her! Teeth clenched, she held out her wrists. To her surprise, it was the young guy, who'd looked uneasy earlier, that put the cuffs on her. He met her eyes for the first time, his gaze intent. The cuffs went tight, then, inexplicably, one of them loosened as the guy fidgeted with them. He closed one eye in a very slow wink before moving away. Wanda looked down to hide her expression. The cuffs _looked_ normal, but the left one felt as if it would give way if she yanked it hard enough.

Was the guy trying to help her, or was this a set-up to get her in trouble? She didn't have long to think about it, as Stryker shoved Nina's limp form into her arms, as if handing her a sack of garbage, and marched from the room. The scientists followed him, and the armed guards moved into a line surrounding Wanda, making it clear she was to follow. Silently, she did so, her mind going a mile a minute. Stryker was moving them somewhere else, which could mean time outside, and she had Nina. Plus, Stryker (presumably) didn't know she had a way out of the cuffs... She suppressed a grin. They might have a chance to get out of here!

She hefted Nina a little, so her head drooped to Wanda's shoulder, making her easier to carry. After following a labyrinth of badly-lit corridors, abruptly they were outside, the daylight searing Wanda's eyes for a second. Once she'd blinked enough that she could see, she realized they were being led to vehicles, not planes. That meant either they weren't going far, or Stryker didn't want to draw unecessary attention by using air travel. She took in her surroundings, but nothing she saw was familiar- it could have been any generic military compound from a movie.

She and Nina were shoved into the back of a truck with no windows. It was a large space, with no seats, so they'd be bouncing around like pinballs. Four soldiers joined them, as well as two 'doctors'. Wanda wasn't surprised to see her 'ally' there, though just what he was up to eluded her. How had he got Stryker to let him travel with them, when he wasn't really on Stryker's side? She didn't have time to re-think the 'trap' angle now- this might be the best chance of escape she got.

The truck door slammed, leaving them in near pitch-darkness and the engine started. Wanda focused on keeping herself and Nina from being tossed around as the journey began. No-one spoke. The soldiers had put their guns away, clearly thinking there was no point in maintaining the threat while they travelled- Wanda knew the situation, there was nothing she could do at this precise moment.

Time passed. It could have been minutes or hours, there was no way to tell. Wanda dozed, on and off, jerking awake every time the truck rumbled beneath her- they must have been travelling on rough terrain.

Eventually, Nina began to squirm. The sedation was wearing off, which meant they had been travelling for at least four hours.

Her potential ally, the young scientist, looked at her, speaking carefully. "I'm meant to sedate her again if she wakes up, but that's not really good for kids. If you can keep her quiet, I'll leave her awake."

The other scientist grumbled, but Wanda nodded. She thought she got the guy's meaning- if a chance did arise to get away, it would be easier with Nina awake than asleep.

Nina's eyes opened slowly, and she looked groggy, but she tensed immediately on waking in darkness- obviously she had no idea where she was. She began thrashing and breathing hard. Wanda wrapped her arms round her tightly, whispering reassurances.

"It's OK, Nina. I'm here. We're going somewhere else now, we're in a big truck, that's why it's dark. Don't be scared, I've got you." She gave her another reassuring hug.

Slowly, Nina stopped fighting. Wanda felt her little sister's hands on her face, probably trying to work out where Wanda was, as her eyes hadn't adjusted to the lack of light yet. Wanda shifted so Nina was curled in her lap once more, her face buried in Wanda's chest. She didn't respond to Wanda's words, but she remained still. Her breathing evened out, in time with Wanda's heartbeat. Wanda stroked the dark hair soothingly, wishing she could do more.

The truck jerked to a halt. The screech of the brakes was audible, even in here. Wanda jumped, startled.

"Border patrol." Her tentative ally, the scientist, spoke softly. "We're being questioned before crossing into Canada." He stood, yawning, as if he were just stretching his legs. His hand brushed the shoulder of the other scientist, and the older man drooped, as if sound asleep. Moving rapidly now, the guy darted from soldier to soldier, sending them all to sleep with a single brush of his hand, before any of them had time to react.

Wanda's head spun. This guy was a _mutant_?! Then instinct took over, and she pulled against her handcuffs as hard as she could. The left one snapped, and Wanda bolted to her feet. Nina, jostled from her lap, was staring up at her, wide-eyed.

Wanda helped her to her feet, hugging her. "We can get away now." she whispered softly in her sister's ear.

Nina's eyes bugged. She still seemed half-awake, the sedation not having worn off fully yet. Wanda held her close, looking at the young mutant, who was now unlocking the back door of the truck.

"Stryker won't have any idea there's a problem. We're on the Canadian/American border, surrounded by miles of forest. When I open these doors, _run_. And don't look back. With luck, you'll have a couple hours before Stryker even realizes you've gone."

Wanda lifted Nina into her arms. "But... what about you?"

"We're gonna run in different directions. Wiith luck, these creeps will never find either of us." His eyes clouded. "I joined a military force thinking they wanted to _help_ mutants. I'd never have done it if I'd known what a psycho Stryker was. I'm sorry."

Wanda nodded, far from sure this was the best idea, but knowing this was their only chance. "The collars that suppress our powers-"

"I can't get em off. I'm sorry."

Wanda sighed. At least they'd be free, and hopefully she'd be able to call to Xavier for help.

The guy reached for the door handle. "Ready?"

Wanda tightened her grip on Nina, moving closer to the door, bracing herself to jump.

The guy flung the door open and leapt. Wanda followed suit, running as fast as she could for the cover of the trees, clutching her sister tightly. She heard a door slam, and prayed it was just the guy _closing_ the truck door to buy them more time. She wasn't waiting round to find out though, and kept running until lack of breath forced her to stop. For a few seconds, she'd been able to hear their ally bolting as well, but that sound had long faded by the time she stopped, collapsing against a tree, gasping.

Nina stared at her in wonder, face pale in the daylight, eyes wide. "C-can we go home now?"

Wanda's jaw dropped. Nina's voice was a wisp, barely audible, but she had _spoken_ , for the first time in who knew how long. Choked up with emotion, she simply nodded, hugging Nina once more. "We'll be somewhere safe soon, I promise." _As soon as I can get hold of Xavier and get us out of these woods_. "We might have to stay in the woods for a little bit, but we'll be OK, alright?"

Nina nodded, seeming to trust Wanda completely. A tiny smile grew on her face.

Wanda closed her eyes for a second. _Xavier! Can you hear me?_

To her relief, there was an immediate response. _Wanda! Where are you? Are you alright?_

 _Yeah, we're OK. Just got away from some nutjob called Stryker, but_ -

 _We?!_

Oh. Wanda had forgotten Charles didn't know about Nina. She quickly explained what had happened, letting him see the memories that involved Nina, and what she knew of how the little girl had survived. For a long minute, he was silent. Wanda supposed it wasn't often that your best friend/enemy's dead daughter was found to be alive. It had to be a shock.

Charles' voice was incredulous when he spoke again. _I have your co-ordinates. Stay where you are. I'll send someone to fetch you._

 _Alright, and, uh... maybe don't let Erik come along just yet? Nina's very traumatized, and seeing him might overwhelm her. The way he might react to this.._.

 _Of course. It will be Raven, Hank and Peter. They should be there within two hours_.

Wanda blinked. _That fast_?

 _The Blackbird was designed to be fast_. There was an edge of humor in Charles' voice now. _Stay safe, both of you. Now I have to go tell Erik he can't be one of the ones to retrieve you. And I have to work out what to say about Nina.._.

 _Tell him about that in a metal-free zone_. Wanda suggested dryly. She heard Charles laugh nervously as the talk ended.

Nina tugged on her hand. "Hungry," she whispered.

Wanda winced. In the rush of escape, she hadn't thought about food. There were bushes nearby that held berries, but she had no idea which ones might be safe to eat. "I'm sorry, honey. I don't have anything." She hugged Nina close, trying to keep her warm. "But someone will be here to get us soon, I promise, and then we can go to my home, a big warm house where there's lots of people and food. Does that sound good?" She decided not to mention Erik or Peter yet- she had no idea if Nina really believed that they were sisters, and surprising her with more family right now would not be a good idea. As for Erik, Nina hadn't said or done anything that suggested she missed her Papa, so Wanda was leaving that issue alone until they were reunited.

Nina nodded, her eyes hopeful. "Home soon?"

Wanda bit her lip and nodded. Now was _not_ the time to explain that Nina's old home in Poland wasn't there any more, at least, not to live in. It wouldn't be safe, but there was no need to upset Nina by saying so, not yet. She led Nina over to a small copse of trees, where they would at least have shelter from the wind, and sat down on a fallen tree. Nina, out of habit, crawled into her lap, thumb in mouth, clearly wanting another hug.

Wanda was happy to oblige, enjoying the moment of peace and quiet, holding her little sister. She knew 'peace and quiet' were unlikely when they got back to the school- seeing Erik again after he'd 'abandoned' her (in Nina's own view) would almost certainly unsettle Nina again, and helping the child through that would take a lot of time and effort.

* * *

Charles was shaking his head in disbelief at what he'd learned from Wanda- Nina Lehnsherr, _alive?!_ \- as he quickly sent telepathic messages to Raven, Hank and Peter, giving them the co-ordinates and telling them to go straight to the Blackbird and take off, explaining as quickly as he could and ignoring their stunned questions. That would ensure they were gone before word reached Erik, and then his old friend wouldn't be able to waste time arguing about going with them. Having sensed the team departing, he took a steadying breath and went to find Erik.

He was in the library, tidying up some books that appeared to have fallen. Charles approached him quietly, trying to find the right words. How _did_ one go about explaining something like this? 'We found your daughter and she will be back safely soon. Oh, by the way, she also found that your other daughter isn't dead after all and she'll be coming back here as well'. He shook his head. There was no good way to do this.

Erik turned to peer at him. "It's not like you to enter a room and just sit in silence, Charles."

 _Good news first._ "Wanda made contact with me a few minutes ago. She's managed to escape Stryker and is hidden. Hank, Raven and Peter have gone in the Blackbird to bring her home."

Erik's fists clenched slowly. "And I wasn't invited to go along because..."

"Well, for one, I wanted to get her back as soon as possible, preferably before Stryker realizes he's lost his prisoners-" Charles cut himself off, but too late; Erik had heard.

" _Prisoners_? Plural? Stryker had more than one mutant captive?"

"Yes... Erik, you should sit down." Charles took a deep breath. "This will be a shock. It... It's about your Nina..." He explained as gently as he could. By the time he'd finished, Erik's face was ashen and he swayed where he stood. Charles reached out for him, concerned. "Erik-"

"Leave me alone." His voice was stunned, defeated, hopeless. His expression matched his tone as he simply walked from the room, looking like he just couldn't take any more.

Charles' heart ached for his friend, but there was nothing he could do or say now. Erik would have to come to terms with this on his own.

* * *

Marya Maximoff threw open her car door seconds after pulling up to Xavier's school and slamming on the brakes. She should have been exhausted, driving for over four hours after receiving Peter's phone call, but adrenaline and fear for her oldest daughter kept her fully alert.

Fifteen year old Ana climbed out from the passenger seat, groaning as her cramped legs protested. She hadn't been happy at just being bundled into the car without an explanation from her mom, but Marya had explained Wanda's disappearance during the journey, and Ana had panicked as much as Marya at the thought of her sister being missing.

Marya herself had run towards the front door and was now pounding on it, her anger and fear plain to see on her face. Ana winced inwardly as she joined her mom on the doorstep. She pitied whoever ended up on the receiving end of Mom's temper!

The door was opened by a tall man with dark hair and blue eyes. Marya actually recoiled when she saw him, and Ana blinked a few times before she recognized the guy. _Magneto! But what's he doing here? I thought this school was meant to be a good place_... And, even weirder, it seemed like her mom _knew_ the guy...

Magneto's- Erik's- shoulders slumped when he saw her mom, which was even freakier. "Marya." His voice was weary, resigned.

"Erik." Mom's voice was tight with strain. "I should have known you'd be involved in this."

Erik held a hand up, stopping Marya from saying anything else. "Wanda has been located. Peter and some others are on their way to bring her back here. She's unhurt, so there's no need for you to panic." He stepped back. "Come inside. But I warn you, Marya, I have just had a _hell_ of a shock, on top of other... recent revelations that _you never told me about_ , so now is _not_ the time to start a fight with me."

Once they were in the building, Erik let the door slam closed and simply stalked away, as a man in a wheelchair approached Marya and Ana, smiling warmly as if to make up for Erik's attitude.

Ana stared after Erik as her mom began talking to the guy in the chair- Charles Xavier, the school's owner and founder. Ana tried to listen to him, but her thoughts kept wandering. How did _Magneto_ and her mom know each other? What had he meant, hinting about something Mom had never told him? What was going on?

Ana had no idea, but was determined to find out, and soon.

* * *

 _ **To be continued...**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Nina had dozed off eventually, curled up in Wanda's lap, with Wanda struggling to keep her as warm as she could as the temperature in the forest lowered. Her legs were utterly numb from Nina's weight and from the cold by the time she heard the noise of a plane. It came into view seconds later, descending into a clearing not far from them. The noise increased, becoming deafening, and Nina jerked awake, leaping away from Wanda, utter panic on her little face as she saw the black aircraft. She screamed, shaking from head to foot. "No! Not again! No more bad people! I'm not being taken away again!"

Wanda scrambled to her feet, darting to Nina, kneeling in front of her, cursing herself for not waking Nina and warning her that they'd be collected in a plane- her little sister probably associated black aircraft with Stryker's men, after how she'd been taken from Poland. "Nina, sweetheart, it's alright, it's not the bad people, these are friends."

Nina was hyperventilating, her pupils dilated. It didn't look like she'd even _heard_ Wanda.

Wanda took Nina's hand in her own, staring straight into her eyes. "It's OK, Nina, I promise, you need to calm down."

Nina was so panicked she was struggling to breathe. "My heart... hurts..." She managed to gasp, almost unintelligbly. Tears were pouring down her face.

"It's alright. Look at me, come on, take a big deep breath," Wanda kept her voice as soothing as possible, breathing in and out slowly to show Nina what to do. She brought Nina's hand to her own sternum, letting her feel her steady heartbeat, something that often calmed children in the midst of a panic attack.

Slowly, Nina's outright panic subsided, but she still looked far from at ease, hiding behind Wanda and clinging to her as the plane landed and the door opened.

For a split second, a chill went down Wanda's spine- what if this wasn't Peter and the others, sent by Charles to collect them, but more of Stryker's forces, tracking them somehow?

Raven (in human form) and Peter stepped into view, and Wanda sighed with relief. She squeezed Nina's hand to reassure her. "Look, honey. It's friends, just like I said."

Nina peeked out from behind her for a split second before hiding again. Wanda moved so she knelt beside Nina, putting her arms round the little girl to make sure she felt safe, while also giving Raven and Peter a good look at Nina. Peter was outright staring at his new little sister. Raven took a long look, then called back into the plane. "Hank, stay where you are, we should take off as soon as possible."

Hank. Wanda hesitated. Which form was he in? The blue, furry form wasn't going to help Nina keep calm... Still, Raven was right, the longer they were here, the more chance there was of Stryker figuring out his prisoners were gone. She stood up slowly, grimacing at the ache in her stiff limbs, keeping hold of Nina's shoulders.

The little girl stared up at her, fear still plain in her eyes. Wanda smiled widely to show there was nothing wrong. "Come on, sweetheart, we have to go get on the plane now. It will be nice and warm in there, and there'll be some food for you," Wanda hoped this was true- they'd have airline snacks at least, right? "And then we're going back to the big house I told you about. Alright?"

Nina glanced warily at Raven and Peter before looking back at Wanda. "Who are those people?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"That's my friend Raven, and that's Peter, my twin brother." Again, Wanda held off on saying that Peter was Nina's brother too- she wasn't sure if Nina even really thought she and Wanda were sisters, and she wasn't going to push it. "They're very excited to meet you."

Presumably having heard her words, Raven and Peter both suddenly had warm smiles on their faces. Nina didn't budge, didn't even look at them.

Wanda held her arms out. "Will it be alright if I carry you? You can keep me warm til we get out of this cold forest." She pantomimed a shiver, and slowly, Nina nodded, reaching her arms upward. Wanda hefted her onto her hip and carried her towards the plane, walking quickly. Nina kept her face pressed to Wanda's shoulder the whole way. She nodded greetings at Peter and Raven as she boarded and the ramp closed. "Thanks for getting here so quickly."

"No problem." Raven couldn't keep her eyes from Nina now, but the little girl was unaware of her scrutiny- she still hadn't looked up, keeping her face hidden from these strangers, her fingers wrapped tightly round Wanda's shirt. Raven tore her gaze away, though not before noting the metal collars round her and Wanda's necks. "Power dampeners. We'll get them removed as soon as we're home."

Wanda nodded- in all honesty, she'd nearly forgotten about the devices she and Nina wore, with everything else that had happened, but having them gone would be a relief.

Peter had transferred his gaze from Nina to Wanda, his face now anxious. "You OK, Wands? You had us all worried..."

"Yeah, we're OK now, aren't we?" Wanda nudged Nina gently, trying to coax her to respond, as she headed towards the plane's seats. She stopped abruptly. _This is going to cause a problem._ The seats were in lines facing each other, but there would be no way Nina could sit on her lap- the seatbelts required wouldn't hold two people, no matter if one of them was a child.

Hank (in blue furry form, because of course this couldn't be any easier on Wanda) looked back at them. "Good to see you, Wanda. And nice to meet you, Miss Nina. Could you take your seats please?"

Wanda took a deep breath, and in one movement, lifted Nina from her arms and set her in one of the middle seats. Nina looked up at her, big brown eyes still scared. Wanda spoke softly, but firmly. "We have to go now, so we all have to be strapped in our own seats, it's the rule." She squeezed one of Nina's hands. "Do you want me to sit next to you, or over there, so you can see me properly?"

Nina looked at the seat to her left. Taking that as an instruction, Wanda smiled. "You want me to sit there?"

Nod.

Wanda stroked Nina's face, presuming Nina had reverted to silence because of the proximity of strangers. "OK." She quickly did up Nina's seatbelt, before sitting down next to her and strapping herself in. Nina edged as close to the left edge of her seat as she could, taking Wanda's hand. She still refused to look at Raven or Peter as they sat down opposite her. Wanda prayed Peter wouldn't say anything silly or tease the little girl- that wouldn't help her to calm down! Thankfully, all he did was try and smile at her.

"Hi, Nina."

The little girl's flinch and the way she ducked her head was heartbreaking. No-one spoke much for the first part of the journey. Nina's utter silence, not even whimpering or sniffling, was disconcerting to others- Wanda had simply gotten used to it. Eventually, Wanda picked up on the faintest whisper from Nina and leaned closer so she could hear.

"I'm hungry." It was barely audible even to Wanda, but at least Nina was talking.

Wanda caught Raven's eye. "Hey, Raven, I could use something to eat. Are there any snacks lying around? I bet Nina could use something as well." She hoped that by keeping it casual, she wouldn't draw too much attention to Nina and risk her clamming up again.

Raven nodded and reached into a small compartment next to her seat, retrieving a couple of energy bars. Not the best thing for a kid, but the X-Jet hadn't been stocked with children in mind. Raven handed one to Wanda, then, slowly, offered the other to Nina.

Nina's big eyes shot to Wanda, who nodded slightly. Gripping Wanda's hand for dear life, her free hand trembling slightly, she reached for the proffered energy bar, taking it and all but snatching her hand back as if she expected to be hit.

Wanda gave Nina's hand another squeeze. "Good girl. Can you say 'thank you' to Raven?"

"Thank you." Nina mumbled without looking up. Wanda grimaced apologetically at Raven- that was probably the best they'd get for now. Raven nodded, a sad smile on her face, understanding in her eyes. She'd seen traumatized kids before, but seeing this terrified, hollow eyed kid clinging to Wanda like she was a lifebelt in the ocean, and comparing that to the bubbly, happy little girl that Erik had described, made Raven's old urge to painfully kill William Stryker seem like a very good idea.

The silence resumed, no-one willing to break it. Nina wolfed down her energy bar, then half of Wanda's, when the latter saw her looking pleadingly at it. After that, Wanda spotted Nina taking occasional glances at Raven, Peter and Hank. Hank seemed to intrigue her the most, though she said nothing, at least she didn't seem afraid of his Beast form.

At last, the mansion came into view. Wanda, when she saw it, gestured at it through the windshield, nudging Nina. "Look! That's my home. It's lovely and big, isn't it?"

Nina followed her pointed finger, eyes widening. "Is it a castle?" She asked in her whispery voice.

Wanda smiled. "No, sweetheart, it's a school, but people live there too."

Nina frowned a little. She tugged on Wanda's hand, and Wanda leaned closer as the jet approached the basketball court, ready to land in the hangar.

"Are Mama and Papa here?" She was almost mouthing the words, not really speaking aloud.

 _Damnit._ Wanda should have expected that question. Raven. Peter and Hank looked away, none knowing what to say. She wrapped an arm round Nina. This would be difficult. She decided to ignore the mention of Erik for now. "Nina, do you know what heaven is?"

Nina nodded. "That's where people go when they're done on Earth." Her words were still whispers, as if she only wanted Wanda to hear. "Papa's parents are there."

Wanda blinked back tears. "That's right, and... I'm sorry, sweetheart, but Mama had to go there too."

Nina stared at Wanda, then began to cry silently. It was eerie- she sobbed, but didn't make a sound. _Probably something she learned in Stryker's 'care',_ Wanda seethed. The jet landed, and as Hank killed the engine, Wanda unstrapped Nina and pulled her into her lap, stroking her dark hair. "I know it's sad, honey. You'll miss her, but you know something?" Nina looked up at her, her face a picture of misery. Wanda pressed her hand to Nina's heart. "As long as you remember her, she'll be with you, in here."

"Like Papa's parents?"

"That's right." Wanda had never given much thought to Erik's parents, but they were Nina's grandparents- and hers, and Peter's. She should acknowledge that, even if they'd died long before Erik's children were thought of.

Hank and Raven left the jet, both looking near tears themselves. Raven dragged Peter with her, apparently wanting to give Wanda time to calm Nina before they went into the school and were bombarded with people. Wanda unfastened her seat belt, then Nina's, and stood, offering Nina her hand. The little girl stood up, her whole body tense, waiting for Wanda to take a step towards the ramp before following, slowly, holding Wanda's hand as tightly as she could.

"Wanda?" Nina was looking straight up at her, and Wanda blinked back her shock- it was the first time Nina had said her name.

"Yes, honey?" She stopped walking, turning to give Nina her full attention.

"Is Papa really your Papa, like the bad man said?"

There was no reason to lie. "Yes."

"Yours and Peter's?"

So Nina _had_ been listening when Wanda had introduced Peter as her twin. "That's right."

Nina frowned. "But Mama wasn't your Mama?"

"No." Wanda thought fast. "A very long time ago, Papa knew my and Peter's Mama, and we were born, but after that, she and Papa decided to just be friends. Then, a long time after that, Papa met your Mama and fell in love, and then you came along. Does that make sense?" OK, she'd juggled the details a bit- She and Peter had been born _after_ Erik and Marya split up, and they certainly hadn't parted as friends, but Nina was only eight. She wasn't going to give her the whole story!

Nina nodded. "Is Papa here? Did he get away from the bad men too?"

Realizing that Nina thought that Erik had ended up captured too, Wanda simply nodded. After all, Erik _was_ here, and there was no need to explain the whole 'You were almost dead so Erik buried you but you got better somehow' thing. "Did you want to see him?"

Nina nodded, then shook her head. Wanda frowned. "Why not?"

"He forgot about me. You looked after me. I want to stay with you now. You love me. I don't think Papa does, anymore."

Of course, it _would_ be right at that moment that Erik appeared in the doorway, just out of Nina's line of sight. He had clearly heard Nina's words, and looked like someone had just ripped his heart out.

Wanda addressed Nina, trying to do some damage control, praying Erik didn't barge in and unsettle Nina more. "Honey, Papa didn't know the bad men had you-"

"Because he forgot about me." Nina's voice was still far too quiet, but utterly certain. It was clear she believed her own words.

Wanda grimaced. Nina was only a kid, saying what she thought, but this was _not_ a good start to her reunion with Erik. She met his gaze, trying to will him to understand. He turned and strode away, his whole posture devastated. Wanda stifled a sigh as she resumed leading Nina from the jet into the school's basement.

Leaving the jet, she looked around. Raven and Peter were still there waiting, as was Hank. Erik was not in sight, but Wanda put him aside for later- Nina's mental state was the priority, not his, not right now. The elevator door hissed open, and Charles joined them, his chair pushed by Scott, Jean right beside him. Two other figures walked with them, and Wanda blinked, repeatedly. What were her mom and other sister Ana doing here?

A loud 'Bamf!' sounded, making Nina cringe and hide behind Wanda again. The smoke from Kurt's teleport cleared, revealing Kurt himself, with Jubilee and Ororo. Their arrival meant there were now _eleven_ people standing staring at them and Wanda bit back a swear word. She could feel Nina tensing behind her, and a glance back confirmed she'd reverted to the blank face she'd used in Stryker's lab. Seeing too many people had scared her. But Wanda yelling at everyone to leave would only scare her more, not to mention it'd be a bit rude to ask Charles to leave the room, when the whole school was his.

Seeing Wanda, and the little girl with her, all the younger students (and Marya, and Ana) started asking questions at once, far too many for her to even get a word in edgewise.

Nina had gone utterly rigid with tension, and as the questions and speculations got louder and louder, she clamped her hands to her ears, dropped to her knees, letting out a shrill scream, and curled up, rocking back and forth, eyes squeezed shut.

Wanda was at her side in seconds, trying not to glare at everyone else for terrifying Nina to this point- they couldn't know how traumatized Nina was, after all. She rubbed Nina's shoulders, whispering reassurances, as Charles directed everyone but him, Marya and Peter to leave the hangar.

It took nearly ten minutes for Nina to calm down enough to crawl into Wanda's lap, the full-on trembling becoming sobbing as she buried her face in Wanda's shoulder. Just as she had back in Stryker's base, when she and Wanda had first met, and Nina was too traumatized to even speak. The new place, and too many new people, had put her back in that state.

Wanda herself sighed in resignation. _Looks like I'll have to start all over again getting her back to normal_. At least, hopefully, Nina trusted her, so maybe _all_ the progress she'd made hadn't been undone.

Charles was blinking back tears. Peter looked torn between misery and anger at seeing a little girl like this. Marya's expression was much the same, though there was something unreadable in her gaze. Wanda wondered what her mother thought, seeing her eldest daughter playing mother hen to Erik's youngest child like this. From the look in her eyes, Marya wasn't pleased about it. Wanda couldn't worry about Mom right now though- Nina needed to be looked after. Her baby sister was her current main priority. She would be alright. They all would. It would just take time.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

Wanda rolled her shoulders as she stumbled into the dining room for breakfast, Nina sticking close to her side. Her younger sister had had nightmares again the previous night. Neither of them had gotten any sleep and this morning she was clingier than usual. Wanda sat her at the table with some of the younger students before going to grab then both a plate of food.

She didn't know Marya had approached until her mother put a hand on her arm. Wanda jumped and yanked away, her heart in her throat. "Don't do that!"

"I'm sorry." Marya peered at her worriedly. "You need sleep. I'll stay with Nina today-"

"No. She doesnt trust anybody else."

"Wanda-"

"She needs me, OK?!"

Marya sighed heavily. "You can't keep this up forever."

Wanda held her mom's gaze. "I'll take care of Nina for as long as she needs me to."

Not willing to give this up for good, but changing the subject, as Marya knew better than to start an argument with her daughter in a room full of students, she spoke quietly. "Has Nina agreed to see... anyone else yet?"

Wanda ran a hand through her unruly hair, shaking her head. "If you mean Erik, no. She's still convinced he abandoned her, forgot about her, and I haven't been able to change her mind yet. Peter says Erik's really cut up about it as well."

Marya bit back a scathing retort about the fact that Erik had a history of doing just that. "Perhaps you should speak with him," she said instead. "Nina needs to hear from him what happened or else all your words will be for nothing."

"I would, Mom, except for the small detail that Nina needs to be where I am or she'll panic-" Wanda cut herself off, pulling a gentle smile onto her face as Nina sidled up to her, reaching for her hand. "What is it, honey?" She shifted her attention from her mom to her sister- Marya would just have to wait.

"Will you come sit with me today?" Nina asked in the whispery voice she still used when anyone besides Wanda was in earshot.

Wanda heard Marya stifle a sigh as she left Wanda to see to Nina, but ignored it. Still, she didn't want to do as Nina asked- it would set a precedent for her always being at Nina's side, and she was trying to encourage the little girl to regain some confidence and start doing some things on her own. "I can't, honey. You know the rules, I have to sit at one of the tables for grown ups." That wasn't a rule, per se, but she'd taken to telling Nina it was, in an attempt to get her talking to the students nearer her own age. Sticking to Wanda like glue every minute of the day might be understandable for a child with PTSD and separation anxiety, but it wasn't a healthy behavior. "You go have breakfast with the other kids, alright, and I'll come get you right after. I promise I won't leave the room. You'll be able to see me the whole time."

Nina's expression, like a kicked puppy, tore at Wanda's heart, but she steeled herself. Nina wouldn't get past any of her problems if Wanda caved in to her wishes all the time. "Go on, go and eat." She handed the little girl the smaller plate, then stroked Nina's hair. "I won't take my eyes off of you. Promise. Go on." She kept her eyes on the little girl as Nina trudged off to join the other younger children, smiling encouragingly and gesturing for Nina to go on whenever she looked back.

Once Nina was sitting and eating (or rather, picking at her food), Wanda took a seat herself, and all but inhaled her own breakfast, surprised at just how hungry she was, listening to and getting caught up in the good-natured bickering between Peter, Hank and Raven. She'd only just finished her breakfast when Hank's eyes focused on something behind her, and, turning, she saw Nina standing there silently, arms wrapped round herself, eyes locked on Wanda, clearly having no intention of going anywhere until her big sister joined her.

Wanda stifled a sigh as she stood. She was starting to think her mom had a point, that Nina was coming to view Wanda as a crutch, needing her there in order to do _anything_. Wanda loved Nina as much as she loved Peter and Ana, so she didn't grudge looking after her, but Nina's clinginess was becoming obsessive. Taking Nina's hand, she decided, randomly, to take a chance. It had been weeks since they got here, and Nina was getting worse, not better. It was tough-love time.

"What do you want to do today, Nina?" Up til now, Nina had followed obediently where Wanda led, reading books or watching TV etc., as Wanda instructed.

Nina's eyes widened and she shrugged, looking up at Wanda. She resisted the urge to offer the little girl any suggestions, though. Nina _must_ remember what she used to do for fun, before it had all gone wrong. And Wanda had no intention of doing anything, even leaving this room, until Nina had at least answered verbally.

"C-can we go outside?" Nina's voice wobbled. "S-someone said there are h-horses here."

"You want to go to the stables and see them?" Wanda prompted.

Nina nodded. Wanda cupped her ear, waiting.

"Yes please."

Wanda smiled warmly. "Of course we can, sweetie. We might even be able to give them some treats, if you like." She wasn't too keen on horses, if she was honest, but she'd learned from Erik, by way of Peter, that Nina used to love animals back in Poland. Wanting to see some again could only be a good sign, right?

Quickly fetching herself and Nina some apples to feed the horses, she had Nina lead the way outside. The little girl still clung to her hand, but at least she wasn't hiding behind her any more.

Unfortunately, they were only halfway to the stables when Wanda saw the solitary figure of their father staring out over the school grounds, and realized, with a sinking heart, they were going to cross paths with him. She thought fast. Her mom had raised a good point earlier- maybe the only way Nina would accept that Erik hadn't forgotten her was if he personally told her his version of events. And Wanda was here right now, so Nina shouldn't go into a meltdown or panic... She put a hand on Nina's shoulder to stop her, and her big brown eyes blinked up at her.

"Nina, sweetie, we are still going to go see the horses, alright? But we just have to stop a second. I need to talk to Er- Papa for a minute. Then maybe he can come visit the horses with us, OK?" Wanda lowered her voice slightly. "I know Papa would like to see you too. He's missed you a lot. Can you be a big girl and talk to him, for me?"

There was a long, heavy silence, then, to Wanda's relief, Nina managed a barely-perceptible nod.

"I'll talk to him." Her little face was somber, and her grip on Wanda's hand was almost painful, but she allowed herself to be led over to Erik, going near him for the first time since they'd gotten back to the school.

Wanda caught Erik's eye as they approached, trying to plead with her eyes that he didn't lose control of his emotions and overwhelm Nina. She had no way of knowing if he'd gotten the message, but it was too late to talk to him privately- they were within speaking distance now.

She forced a smile onto her face, intending to keep this casual, hoping Erik followed her lead.

"Morning... Dad." That still sounded weird, calling him that, but she couldn't use his first name in front of Nina, and her name for him, Papa, was even more bizarre, to Wanda's mind. "Nina and I are just going to go and visit the horses, aren't we?" She nudged Nina to respond.

"Yeah." Nina's voice was soft, her eyes far away. "Like we used to go visit deer in the forest out back... before."

"Did you? That sounds like fun." Wanda kept her voice as gentle as possible, while Erik make a stifled, choked noise, his eyes shining. "Was that just you and Papa?"

"Yeah. The deer were my friends. They used to play with me. Then they took care of me when I was on my own. _They_ loved me." Nina sniffled, and the gaze she turned on Erik was almost accusatory.

Erik looked at Wanda, but she stayed still, aware on some level that she shouldn't interrupt Nina, like the child needed to get this out before she could even start to move on.

Nina was still glaring at Erik, talking as if the words were being yanked from her, her voice rising. "I was all alone! it was dark, and cold, and there was no food. I had to climb out of the hole in the ground, and only the deer were there. Loads of them died! Mama was gone and you just _left!_ You forgot me!" She was nearly hysterical now, screaming at Erik, tears pouring down her face.

Wanda, hating hearing this, and cringing at the look on Erik's face, nonetheless still held back. Venting her anger and confusion would be cathartic for Nina, no matter how much it hurt Erik to hear it.

"Then the bad people came, and they took me away, and kept hurting me, and it was so _cold_. And you never came and got me!" Nina's final scream was punctuated by her aiming a punch at Erik, then stumbling and tripping. She stayed on her knees, sobbing. "Why didn't you come find me, Papa?"

Wanda was crying silently by this point, but didn't go to Nina. Erik was looking at her helplessly. Wanda gestured him toward Nina, using her facial expression to make her intent clear- that it needed to be him that consoled Nina now, if there was any chance of them getting back some semblance of the bond they'd once had, though it could never be like it was before all the trouble.

Slowly, Erik moved, kneeling in front of Nina and speaking softly in Polish. Wanda didn't know the language, but she assumed he was apologizing, as the same two words came up a lot.

Nina's sobbing gradually eased, and she began replying to Erik in the same language, her words punctuated by sniffling. Finally, at last, she edged forward, letting Erik hug her for the first time since their reunion.

Wanda heaved a sigh of relief as Erik buried his face in Nina's hair. From the way his shoulders moved, she thought he might be weeping, but decided not to ever tell anyone that- now, of all times, he had a right to be emotional, after all.

Nina's head turned towards her, and her little hand reached out. Cautiously, Wanda moved to join them, taking Nina's hand and giving it a squeeze, not sure she wanted to actually join in the hug- she still hardly knew Erik, after all.

Nina smiled weakly, obviously pleased to have her papa back and still have a new sister as well. Erik looked up, his eyes wet, and met Wanda's gaze. Understanding flashed between them in an instant.

Nina would, in all likelihood, still need Wanda to help her through her trauma- some of the things they'd been through together, Erik wouldn't know how to help Nina cope with. And Nina's attachment to her big sister wouldn't just vanish, not now Wanda was essentially in the maternal role. But maybe, now this biggest hurdle had been overcome, and Nina was back on speaking terms (hopefully) with Erik, he- and Peter, and the rest of the 'family' at the school- could take some of the responsibility of taking care of Nina from Wanda.

That Erik might come to resent Wanda for being the main caregiver for _his_ baby girl now did actually cross her mind, but she decided they'd deal with that if and when the problem arose. For now, the cracks in this damaged family were beginning to mend. She hoped it could only get better from here.


End file.
